The Girl With The White Mask
by Lady.Of.Cythera
Summary: Sequel to The Boy With Black Hair And Amber Eyes - After managing to take on almost the entire Soul Society single-handedly, things finally seem to be settling into place for Ichigo and Rukia... For once, Fate seems to finally be on their side. But, of course, unbeknown to the happy couple, Fate will soon let them know he doesn't take sides... New life? No... Just new problems.
1. Prologue

**IT'S FINALLY HERE! Welcome back, faithful readers (and welcome new readers – looking forwards to getting to know you)! Thank you so much for being patient with me and I hope you all missed me! ;) I'm so excited about this story – except, there is one slight issue I am facing… I have been debating **_**how**_** to write this story. There is a lot I want to put in it, but I have no idea how to write it all or if it will match up to The Boy With Black Hair And Amber Eyes. I am really hoping that you guys will help me out with this a lot because I really need your help! I've played with a few ideas and here's how I think it's going to work, but I absolutely need your feedback or it may end up being written in a way you won't like! Please read my author's note at the bottom for a better explanation **

**Anyway, please, other than all this negativity, I am so very looking forwards to The Girl With The White Mask and I hope you are too! Enjoy!**

Change, an interesting concept, is a process that occurs to everybody whether or not they wish it to be so.

It is the term used to describe the positive, negative and neutral development of an individual or a place. Change can destroy, build, improve, degrade, cause progression or regression and the list just goes on and on.

Change is a very heavy topic, indeed.

A lot can change in just a few years.

For example, a family of three could multiply into a family of say… six? Where this family of three may have originally been considered as perhaps reckless… impulsive and inexperienced in practically all areas that were vital to ensuring a successful, happy life for the individuals, change had interjected and decided that instead, said family would gain incredible power, unstoppable yet silent authority and perhaps the most well-known, idolised family throughout the entire Soul Society.

But what was it that caused them to be so… untouchable?

It was obvious that each member seemed to have a distinct aura about them, radiating lethality.

They were deadly.

The father, insanely tall and muscular, hair as bright as the sun and his eyes as amber as stones, was not covertly dangerous in the slightest. It was clear to see that he was the last shinigami in existence that one would wish to pick a fight with.

But at second glance, it could have been argued with equal justification that his wife, a petite woman with pleasant curves, hair as black as midnight and eyes subjective to change from vivid violet to inky blue, could have possibly been the most frightening out of the two.

His skin was tinged with a light golden tan, yet hers was as white and soft as linen.

Perhaps it was because her husband was so obviously intimidating why she was actually the most terrifying. She was quite possibly a perfect example of the old theory: 'watch out for the quiet ones'.

The differences between the two were almost _too _obvious that they appeared practically coordinated. It was as if somebody had selected them to appear so differently on the outside, just to conceal the powerful connection they shared on the inside.

However, once the initial impression of their striking appearance subsided, one would begin to see that there was more to this couple than met the eye. Aside from the prominently attractive differences the Captain and Lieutenant had, they also were so similar, it was incredibly frightening.

Both were completely stubborn, hot-tempered and dangerous, but both so consumed with such a burning passion for the other that it was virtually impossible to be near them and not experience a fragment of the devout devotion they shared for each other. It was apparent to all those who knew them, that their love _was _the definition of power.

The reason they were so supreme was because of their tightly binding love.

… As well as the fact that they were both incomparably physically strong…

But how their love was so obvious was not due to their actions; it wasn't as though they flung themselves all over the place, making love in public or anything.

…Or at least not very often.

It was in their tiny, concise movements that their love was proclaimed to the rest of the world.

For example, each gesture they made appeared so synchronised or rehearsed, it was like a production. In public, they would walk, never anything more than three inches between them, their hands almost brushing, but never touching; and even though they generally remained silent, every so often a smile so small it could have been passed off as a lip twitch, gently tugged at the corners of their lips – almost as if they had just shared a private, telepathic joke. Or occasionally, much to the delight of onlookers, his lips would part, just for a brief moment, but following this, her cheeks may colour violently. He could provoke a heavy blush to form on her pale cheeks by uttering one, simple word.

That, in a nutshell, was power.

Their back story was well known, but never told by them – so the rest of the Soul Society wondered just how much of it was actually true. Parts of their tale had been offered by those who knew the couple before they became a 'couple'.

One thing was for certain; she was of the noble house of Kuchiki – the top of the top.

He was a mere mortal – the lowest of the low.

Again, both totally opposite.

But by some stroke of luck, fate, or destiny, their paths crossed.

She saved him and his family, but in the process, lost all her powers when she transferred them onto him so he could become a substitute shinigami.

This, of course, was illegal.

Therefore, her own people sentenced her to death.

After losing his temporary strength, due to an unforeseen attack by her brother, he worked as hard as he could to awaken his own true power.

Rumours had been spread, some true, some false – it was impossible to get the couple to talk about it.

Either way, it was clear that he had more than just risked his life to save her by defeating Seretei's most powerful figureheads and then teaming up with some of them to eventually destroy the traitorous scum who had put everybody's existence at risk with his own bloodthirsty desire for power.

The two had been separated on several occasions, battled Hollows, Bounts, Rogue Shinigami, Arrancars and countless other species side by side – and most likely each other, at some point.

But no matter what, they seemed to return to each other, whether of their own accord, or by some higher power.

He battled her brother, the head Captain, fought against the law and broke all the rules… at least twice.

But he did it all for her.

Everything.

And equally, she would have done the exact same for him – except, he just reckoned it was _her _that attracted the trouble and it always had to be him to get her out of the mess!

That would usually earn him a slap.

But, as gripping as their past was, what they really wanted to know was, between the missions and the separations, what _really _happened?

Some said she attended his school – a mortal's school.

Others had heard his own Father was a shinigami, himself.

Some believable, others not so.

But never could the public imagine that the rumour about where she slept be accepted.

It was a ridiculous idea.

Her brother wouldn't have allowed it, anyway.

Out of all the places to live… why the hell would she choose his closet?

But, aside from the Captain and Lieutenant of one of the most powerful squads in the Soul Society, a different attraction from others in their vicinity was focused on the children.

Yes, the Kurosaki children.

It was impossible to overlook them.

Their faces were so uniquely beautiful, that one could never forget their appearances.

The oldest, Hiro Ichirou Kurosaki-Kuchiki – or just 'a mouthful' as he called himself, only seventeen years of age, was smaller than his father by about a head. His mop of spiky hair, as raven as his mother's, but eyes as amber as his father's, were a strikingly contrasted, yet inimitably enticing look. He was a progressive learner, indisputably powerful for his age and understandably intimidating when walking on the other side of his Mother.

He was the only child with 'Kuchiki' in his name, mainly due to his Uncle's wishes, but also partially because he enjoyed the idea of being original…

With a charming smile and a heart of gold, it was second nature to Hiro to make friends, and of course, much to his predilection, attract the ladies…

There were only a very few who didn't actually like him – and the major reason for that would have been jealousy.

But the other reason was probably due to the fact that he would sometimes find himself getting involved in very… dangerous fights.

And _they _were due to… well… his sister.

Not that he would get into fights with her as often, unless he was asking for a quick, yet painful death.

No, his sister was perhaps the most desired, yet feared young lady in the whole of Seretei.

Two words to describe her: Frighteningly beautiful.

One term to describe her: …Untouchable.

With wide, piercingly pale amber eyes, as penetrating as the eternities, and long, loose ringlets of soft, light brown hair – identical to that of her deceased grandmother's – rippling down her slender back, she was dangerously attractive; tall, like her father and brother, but pleasantly curvy like her mother.

Similar to her mother, she showed promising characteristics of being a successful actress.

This was probably because she always seemed to be wearing some kind of a mask to conceal her emotions from almost everybody, including herself.

But at the times she wasn't wearing the disguise she forged to hide behind, she was donning a different mask altogether.

One she despised.

One she hated.

One she was _forced _to wear.

Like her father, she had a dizzyingly terrifying potential. But _unlike _him, she had little desire to live up to it.

She cursed the power she had been born with.

Why?

Because, Masaki Hisana Kurosaki was part Hollow.

Perhaps one reason she had grown so accustomed to wearing a mask, was because of the way she was born.

The white mask she wore was one she wished would fade away.

She had tried to break it on countless occasions – and ignored her father when he told her it wouldn't work.

Despite what he told her about how she could use her power for good, Masaki just couldn't seem to see the true omnipotence she compressed within herself – unless… unless she lost her temper.

Aside from her mother, Masaki could become one of the scariest shinigami in existence.

But, also unlike her Father, her reflexes were more… cultivated, and she rarely actually properly lost her temper.

But those she lost her temper with would most certainly get a beating they would never forget.

Because of her gentle disposition, often, other shinigami took advantage of her kindness and used it against her to attempt to quietly manipulate her into falling in love with them.

9.9999999 times out of 10, this would not work.

But, a reason why some of these men took a specific disliking to Hiro was probably because she would rarely get revenge on anybody – so he obligingly got it for her.

Nobody touched his baby sister without receiving at least two broken limbs.

On one hip of both Hiro and Masaki, each balanced a small boy.

Kyo and Kai.

Or… known as 'the twins' – or also, more commonly referred to as 'go to your room'.

They were both only young, but old enough to have mastered the perfect art of annoying every being they came in contact with.

Both boys used their identical appearance to confuse those around them and it worked on everybody – except, of course, their Mother.

Sharing the characteristics of having lightly ruffled black hair, dimples in their cheeks and twinkles in their dark violet eyes, they were both impossible to _not _love.

…Very possible to not like, however, but annoyingly loveable at the same time.

With a family of individuals who were so alike, yet so different, so surrounded by mystery, yet so blatant at the same time, it wasn't a wonder they were very well-known and respected – and by many, idolised.

So, it was clear to see that yes, change could occur rapidly in just a matter of years.

But… if change ceased, would time cease also?

Well, Ichigo didn't have a freakin' clue.

He had never really been into philosophy – all he knew, is that change could be good, but in his current predicament, it was most certainly _not _good.

In fact, right then, he despised it.

Why?

Change.

Although it was crucial to the development of an individual, it was also crucial in the trials of an individual, too.

He closed his eyes and thought – yes, he was capable of thinking sometimes.

He just _thought_.

Why had everything gotten so out of hand again?

After everything they had been through, apparently a few years was a break that lasted too long.

Ichigo was never one to go into too much detail about his issues… but he couldn't help but remember the time when change was something he thrived off – worshipped, almost.

But now… now everything was different.

And he hated it.

**A/N: Okay, please don't hurt me. But, what I'm intending on doing with this from the next few chapters is to build up to the present with memories from the past (not just Ichigo's or Rukia's). But anyway, let me know what you think. Like, seriously, I'm going to need a lot of support with this story!**

**(Excuse any errors/ flaws – I have the valid excuse of being ill right now…)**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and please don't forget to review!**


	2. All In Good Time

**A/N: Just to let you know that thee chapters will literally just be brief accounts considering we have a lot of years to get through before we get to the present so if there's anything you're not sure about or if I'm not clear enough about something, just let me know. Sorry about the wait, had an impossibly busy month… I won't go into the specifics but it's been very tough for me so excuse errors etc. But I made a very special effort in getting this out so please take the time to leave a review – I would really appreciate it!**

**Also, thank you to HollyRose93, Bmast, Hallie-Clancy, peacemaker51, ncd94, bdogrulz and the three unnamed guest reviewers! It's nice to see old reviewers back as well as being introduced to new ones! **

**Enjoy!**

_It was different._

_Everything was… well, strange…_

_It was a situation they should have been prepared for, but sometimes, one gets so caught up in trying to deal with the present, that they neglect to think about the future. Of course, they were very capable at dealing with strange. They had been coping with those sorts of situations their entire life – or rather, their entire existence._

_Of course, they knew all that now. _

_But it still didn't make the situation any less strange._

_Lacing his fingers with his wife-to-be's as they kneeled down, Ichigo Kurosaki found himself returning the direct, mildly pleading stare of the head captain._

_Rukia Kuchiki placed both their hands against her thigh and after a moment of unbearable silence, she heard Ichigo mutter, stubbornly, "So, let me get all this straight…" He began, evidently formulating his anticipated response carefully in his mind, "…You want _me _to be Captain again."_

"_Yes." The mellow, authoritative voice of Yamamoto replied, quietly._

"_Of a permanent, trained squad…"_

"_Yes." _

"…_And–"_

"–_Please just say it all in one go, Kurosaki. The suspense is killing me." Byakuya muttered dryly, his presence _almost_ unnoticed as he stood quietly behind Yamamoto._

_But Byakuya had that sort of presence that _never _went unnoticed._

_Rolling his amber eyes, Ichigo continued, "I'd nearly done anyway, dammit." He took a slow breath, before finishing, deliberately slowly, "…And Rukia… to be my lieutenant?"_

"_Yes." Yamamoto repeated yet again, bowing his head._

"_Got there in the end."_

"_Thank you, Captain Kuchiki." Yamamoto interjected, before he fixed his eyes back on Ichigo, "So, what do you say?"_

_Ichigo took a deep breath and shook his head, "Don't get me wrong, Yama, it's a lovely offer but I have difficulty believing that this deal is as simple as all that. Why the hell do you want me back? Furthermore, what makes you think I want to come back… to serve you?" He scoffed, loudly, "Is this so you can just push us both around again and try to manipulate us?"_

_Rukia stiffened silently beside Ichigo and tightened her grip on his hand. _

"_Manipulate you?" Yamamoto repeated, musing over the word, interestedly, "No. Kurosaki, let us not forget that you intend to marry one of our own."_

"_She isn't yours to claim." He bristled, reflexively moving closer to her._

_Byakuya took a step forwards, "Kurosaki, she is a spirit. You are a human. She is among us and is a part of our society whether she wants to be or not. You, no matter how hard you try, cannot change that. You must understand that in order to wed Rukia, you need to offer yourselves into the services of the Soul Society."_

"_I don't need to do a damn thing." Ichigo spat, furiously, glaring at Byakuya through angered ambers._

"_All he means is that Rukia has already been a part of the human world. She doesn't belong there. You need a place to stay. We are offering you comfortable living conditions with a high pay. There is nothing manipulative about that." Yamamoto added, surveying Ichigo, carefully, "We rarely accept humans to live with us, Kurosaki, so stop being so proud and accept it. For the sake of your future wife and your son."_

_Flinching inwardly, Ichigo shook his head. It wasn't fir to bring Hiro into this. Ichigo would give up everything for their happiness, but this is something he had difficulty accepting. "I can't believe you don't have some sort of ulterior motive. If I want to marry Rukia, I will, and if I want to live on Earth with her, I will." _

_He barely even felt Rukia tug her hand out of his and stand up, "If you'll beg my pardon, Captains, I feel a bit of a spare part in all this. Please, get in touch with me once you've all decided my future. I'd be pleased to hear the outcome."_

_Without another word, she turned and strode from the room, holding her chin parallel to the ground._

_The three men watched her leave and Ichigo closed his eyes, "I'll be back in a moment." He stood up and followed her outside, not waiting for a response from the other two._

"_Rukia?" He called after her, seeing her perched delicately on the roof of the building opposite._

_She glanced down at him and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for walking out like that."_

_Flash-stepping his way up to sit beside her, he rested his elbows on his knees, "No, don't be. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been talking about you as though you don't have a mouth of your own."_

"_Which you know I do." She shifted her eyes to his and gave a small smirk._

"_Mm…" He nodded, placing a hand on her stomach and leaning forwards to kiss her lips, gently._

_She smiled against them and closed her eyes briefly before pulling away, "So, what do you want to do about all this, Ichigo? It's a good offer." She told him, quietly._

"_You think so too? Oh, gosh, you dead people are all so confusing. Haven't you seen the way they've treated us when we were in their power? Don't you remember what happened?"_

"_Of course I do." She murmured, "I don't have amnesia, you know. I'd have to have a pretty severe bump on the head to forget all that…" _

"_So, why do you think this is a good idea?" He asked, facing up towards the sky, exhaling, "I thought we just wanted to be quietly happy, you know. None of this drama."_

_Rukia rested her head against his shoulder, "Ichigo, I know you love to fight. I know not alongside them, but they aren't familiar with human emotions – not properly anyway. They're really just trying to… to make peace. Put the past behind us all. Think about it, Ichigo, they're offering us a good position. If we don't like it, we can go. But please, I want to make things right with Byakuya again. Despite it all, he's a really good Uncle."_

"_Yeah, back when Hiro didn't have a Father." Ichigo grumbled, moodily, but already feeling himself being overruled by her sweet, seductive velvety tones._

_Rukia looked up at him and slapped the back of his head, "Stop being childish." She scolded._

_Ichigo couldn't be bothered to apologise and he just sighed, "Do you really want to do this?"_

_Kissing his shoulder, softly, she placed a hand on his forearm, "I think we should give it a try."_

"_Oh, gods, alright. Fine. I'll accept." He mumbled, pulling her to stand up, "Come on, then. The quicker we get this over with, the quicker we get to go."_

_Rukia nodded and within seconds, they were kneeling before the head Captain once again, "Okay," Ichigo began, "We accept your offer, but on the condition that we are not given a fully trained squad… I want to make sure we get our old one back."_

_Yamamoto paused for a second and nodded, "I can accept that. Thank you, Kurosaki."_

_He stood up and brushed down his robes, "We'll return in a few days, but Hiro needs to see his Earth family. He's been missing them and they've been missing him too."_

_Rukia slid her hand into his and pulled him towards the door, "Thank you, Captain."_

_He gave a slight, wrinkly smile before adding, "Oh, and speaking of Earth, Kurosaki… you do know… you won't be keeping your body if you're to be a permanent Captain here."_

_What?_

_Rukia froze and slowly turned to face the two Captains, "You don't mean…"_

"_Physical death, yes, I do mean that." Yamamoto nodded, speaking as if the disposal of Ichigo's mortal body was nothing but a business matter, "You know I have stretched the rules enough as it is; I cannot allow a human to marry a noble, respectable Lieutenant. It is not allowed. But, of course, you'd be willing to sacrifice that for her, wouldn't you?"_

_Ichigo blinked after a moment and nodded, "Yes, of course…"_

"_No, Ichigo." Rukia murmured, turning to face him. He couldn't get rid of his body. She grazed her eyes along his jawline, picturing how much better it looked when he was in his real body – one reason among many as to why she could rarely resist him when they were together on Earth. Even before she recognised the human emotion of 'love'._

_There was a certain attraction to the way his muscles were so shaped and defined and – she really needed to start focusing on what they were discussing again…_

"_Rukia, this isn't up for discussion."_

_She was about to object, but Ichigo glanced over at Yamamoto, "Out of interest, old man, Yama, was this the proposition you tried to offer me before we fought?" _

_Ignoring the lack of disrespect the headstrong, young man used, Yamamoto nodded, "Yes."_

_Ichigo said nothing, but nodded, and turned to pull Rukia out the door with him._

…

"_Now then, young man, what about a hug for Granddaddy?!"_

_A loud, booming voice echoed from the living room the second Ichigo, Rukia and Hiro piled through the front door the following day._

_Pushing through the legs of his parents, Hiro scrambled towards the sound of the voice, and yelled gleefully, "Granddad!"_

"_It's like I don't exist anymore…" Ichigo muttered, moodily, as he kicked off his shoes._

_Rukia didn't reply, but closed the door behind them, gently._

"_So, made it back alive, did you?" Karin smirked as she leaned against the doorpost to the living room._

_Ichigo nodded, "Just about… but, you know… there are a couple of things I need to talk to you about that." He told her, gravely, before Rukia placed her hand forcefully in his, "But not yet. We'll wait until tomorrow. It's getting late."_

_Sighing quietly, Ichigo gave a tight smile, "Of course. Tomorrow. But we will talk."_

_Once they had settled down on the sofa, Ichigo turned to Rukia and teased, lightly, "Hey, guess what. Soon I won't be allowed in this room…"_

"_Why?" She whispered._

"_Because…" He lowered his voice, "…It's the living room."_

_Rukia stiffened and fixed her eyes on Hiro, "I think it's his bedtime." She ordered, her voice deadly dangerous._

_Ichigo sighed and nodded, in defeat, "Alright, little man, time to get to bed." He said, almost inaudibly… so nobody could hear. He was dreading going to bed that night… He had the feeling he was in grave trouble. _

_Neither he nor she had time to be alone together since the talk they'd had with Yamamoto. When they had a few seconds to be together, Rukia had spent it in silence, working on the papers they had to fill out._

_Ichigo decided his could wait…_

_Rukia rolled her eyes, tersely, and spoke, loud enough for Hiro to hear, "Bedtime, baby." _

_Hiro allowed himself plenty of time to listen to comments on how much he'd grown, and how much he was turning out to look like his Father, (but apparently more handsome, according to Isshin) and that he was no longer little enough to carry around everywhere – but still little enough for Granddad to dangle him by the ankles…_

_Rukia tapped her foot impatiently and glanced at the clock._

_21:58_

"_Hiro." She addressed him, her voice soft, but effectively coherent, "Bed. Now."_

_He stopped giggling and Isshin placed him down back on his feet, "Sorry, my wonderful third daughter."_

_Rukia gave a good-natured laugh – but only Ichigo could sense just how difficult it was for her to keep up the pleasant appearances._

_He needed to step up to her and be a man – his family would be unable to cope with her if she snapped… In fact, he was debating whether he'd be able to or not, having said that._

_Ichigo stood up and grabbed Hiro around the middle, slinging him over his shoulders, "Come on then, you." He growled, playfully, "Let's get you into bed."_

_Hiro sighed, "Okay but you have to read me a bedtime story."_

"_You say that like I won't enjoy it." He laughed, softly._

_In fact, if it put off the wrath of his fiancée, he would happily read Hiro a bedtime story._

_Check that… he'd read him two._

…

_After the third book had been placed back onto the bookshelf, Ichigo stopped off at the bathroom on his way into the bedroom, changing into his grey pyjama bottoms._

_Rukia was staring out the window, wrapped up in Ichigo's dressing gown, her arms folded as she watched the wind dance lightly through the silhouetted leaves on the trees._

_Dropping his clothes onto the floor and heading towards the bed, feeling like a misbehaving child, he yawned, "Night, Rukia."_

"_Night." She said, softly, not turning around._

_Trying to settle himself, Ichigo just found it wasn't the same without Rukia beside him. Exhaling, he turned towards her and he flicked back the covers, patting the space on the mattress beside him, "Aren't you coming to bed?"_

_Her wide, violet eyes, seeing something other than the night outside the window, flickered towards him for a brief moment, "Not yet." She replied, fixing her gaze back to the window._

_Ichigo closed his eyes and shook his head, "Rukia Kuchiki, get your fine ass in the bed and stop being so damn morose."_

"_Why?" She countered, heading over to sit in the closet and pull her legs up onto the makeshift mattress._

_His amber eyes widened and he sat bolt upright, "Oh, no, Miss Kuchiki. You are not sleeping in there tonight. Get in the bed or I'm cramming in there with you!" He ordered, his tones climbing towards mildly hysterical. _

_Slamming the door shut, she answered her voice just as even as it was before, "No. You're not. Ichigo, give me a few minutes to get changed."_

"_What? Why? I've seen you naked before loads of times! For goodness sake, Rukia, we have children!"_

"_I just don't feel like putting on a show tonight."_

_Ichigo was affronted._

_He had just been slighted!_

_Mooching back towards the bed, he sighed and sat down, watching the door tentatively. After a few moments of Ichigo's knee bobbing up and down, anxiously, Rukia reappeared clad in one of those damn sexy, thin nighties. _

_Ichigo throbbed._

_Yes, he throbbed._

_His heart… his head… and... Ahem… other things._

_She stared at him, one pale, slender hand resting lightly against the edge of the closet door. After a few passing seconds of feeling completely intimidated and a little frightened, Ichigo glanced to the side, clearing his throat._

_Gods, she must have known what she was doing to him._

_The way her raven hair was delicately ruffled, her straight, white teeth pressing gently on top of her lower lip as she surveyed him through unreadable, troubled eyes._

"_Why did you do it?" She asked, finally, after those painful minutes of unbearable silence._

"_Do…" He swallowed, quickly, "Do what?"_

_She closed her eyes and pulled the door closed, moving slowly towards the bed, "Ichigo, you're nineteen dammit."_

"_Nearly twenty." He reasoned, shifting uncomfortably on the mattress, "And so what? What does this have to do with anything?"_

_Sitting down beside him, her eyes searched his features. Grazing her nails down his chest, watching the adorable way he shuddered beneath her touch, she murmured, "Your skin…" _

_Struggling severely to remain focused, Ichigo raised his eyebrows, "Mm? What… what about it?"_

_She placed her full, pink lips beneath his ear and kissed her way along the underside on his jawline, "Your jaw…"_

"_My jaw?" He repeated, distractedly, exhaling quietly as he leaned forwards._

"_Mm…" Running her fingertips over his shoulders and along the blades, she brushed her lips along his, feeling his hand slide to rest on her thigh._

"_What about them?"_

_Twisting her fingers into the hair tickling the nape of his neck, she dropped her forehead against his, her eyes closing, "Ichigo, you cannot get rid of this body."_

_He paused and opened his eyes, pulling away slightly, "Yes, Rukia, I can and I will. Let me do this for you… for us."_

_Her grip on him tightened and her shoulders weakened, "But I've had so many memories with this body…"_

"_No… they were with me. I was just in this body." He kissed her lips, "Listen to me. I promise I will wait for as long as I can… but this will happen… and you will learn to accept it whether you like it or not."_

_Meekly, she glanced away, "So we don't have to tell your family yet?"_

_Pulling her onto the mattress and hovering above her, he pressed his lips against hers, "No. End of discussion. Now… we may as well make the most of it while it's still here, yes?"_

_Too distracted to object, she nodded, submissively, "Yes, Ichigo."_

_A small smirk tugged at his lips, and he kissed his way down her smooth, pale throat, "That's right. Now shut up and enjoy yourself."_

…

_It had been a long day._

_Or, rather, a long week…_

… _Okay, it had been a long few months._

_A very long few months._

_Of course, time seemed to be dragging because for one, Ichigo Kurosaki almost found himself taking upon himself too much work to handle._

_But not only did the days seem longer, they also seemed crazier._

_See, after things had begun to settle down and Byakuya had come to terms with the fact that his sister really was going to get married, he had offered to support them both as much as possible._

_He began this by telling them he knew about the baby._

_After Ichigo had managed to calm Rukia down (and shrug off the black eye she had delivered him), they had a discussion with Byakuya about a 'plan of action'._

_Though Ichigo didn't particularly want to involve Rukia's brother in their 'plan of action', he had to admit to himself (very quietly), that in actual fact, Byakuya's help was appreciated._

_For one, he had bought Ichigo a house to live in – alone – but it wasn't too far from the mansion, which meant he could visit Rukia occasionally. However, they had agreed ('they' being Rukia and Byakuya) that the couple may live together after marriage, which Ichigo had been a little opposed to at first, but knew that if Rukia agreed to it, then there would be no changing her mind._

_For another, he had ensured that once Ichigo and Rukia had decided to return to their posts as permanent Captain and Lieutenant but of their old squad and with an entirely new, modernised barracks building._

_So, really, Byakuya hadn't turned out to be as useless as Ichigo had anticipated._

_However, although he had made them both as comfortable as possible, Ichigo was still finding it difficult to cope considering he was working alone._

_The reason being that Rukia had finally begun to show and now looked pretty heavily pregnant, but because the baby was developing at such a rapid pace, it meant she could barely stay on her feet for longer than ten minutes._

_She had insisted to continue working, but Ichigo ordered her to stay at home until the baby was born._

_Dropping his robes to the floor as he closed the front door behind him, Ichigo decided he was in need of some comfort food before going to see his fiancée. _

_And he knew of a certain tub of his favourite ice cream was waiting for him in a certain, hidden location._

_Mooching over to his freezer wearing nothing but his boxers, he routed around in the drawers and couldn't help noticing that the ice cream had mysteriously disappeared._

_Straightening up, a confused expression crossing his features, he closed the door and headed upstairs towards his bedroom, following the scent of a familiar reiatsu._

_Sure enough, when he opened the door, his amber eyes landed on a very pregnant, hormonal woman._

_She was shovelling the ice cream into her mouth, a forlorn expression twisting her features. Chuckling a little at the comical sight, Ichigo shook his head and moved towards her, "Hey, Rukes, what's going on?"_

_Well, what he really wanted to know was how she found his well-concealed tub of ice-cream, but she probably wouldn't have appreciated that question right then._

_She just glanced up at him, moodily shoving the spoon back into her mouth._

_Okay, this was getting serious…_

_Gently taking the spoon from her mouth and placing it down on the windowsill, he sat down at the bottom of the mattress and trailed his fingers lightly along the smooth skin of her feet, "What's troubling you, Lieu?" _

_A small, concerned frown tugged at the corners of her pink lips, "I'm a mess, Ichigo. What have I done to deserve you?"_

…_Definitely serious._

_Puffing up his cheeks before releasing the air, he began to gently massage the souls of her feet, and eventually, he watched the worry lines creasing her features dissolve and relax._

"_Is this the hormones or is this Rukia talking?" He asked, softly._

_She let loose a frustrated sigh, "I don't know…"_

"_Now," He murmured, after a few moments of contemplation, "what's all this about?" _

_He held her gaze with his eyes for a prolonged moment, imploring her to respond – but she just sighed and tilted her head back against his headboard, "Nothing… I'm just stressed…"_

"_Stressed?" He asked, continuing the soothing motions with his thumbs against her feet, "About what?"_

"_Oh, I don't know!" She exhaled, grumpily, "The baby… and just… everything, really."_

_Ichigo watched his fiancée through careful eyes, a small smile pulling at his lips as he traced his fingertips delicately up along her shins towards her knee, "Everything? Or… or just a lot about the baby?"_

_Letting loose a mildly exasperated growl, Rukia muttered, "I don't know, Ichigo. I'm just tired; I haven't had a great deal of sleep in the past…"_

"…_8 months." Ichigo supplied, helpfully._

_Rukia refrained from rolling her eyes, but she nodded all the same._

_Well, things would only get worse…_

"_And you're worried about how she will… develop."_

_It was almost difficult to speak of their unborn without caution. Although both Rukia and Ichigo had accepted the fact that their soon-to-be-daughter was going to be… well… different, it was still hard to come to terms with the fact that raising her would be entirely different to raising Hiro – and not just in the ways of the personality modifications. It would be completely, _completely_ different._

_And _that _was a fact._

"_I still don't know whether we should tell others."_

"_Well… we could tell Byakuya… at some point. Though I know he'd only blame it on me." Ichigo grumbled the quiet reply, rubbing gentle circles on the back of Rukia's legs._

_Chewing thoughtfully at her lower lip, Rukia nodded, "You're probably right, but that doesn't mean it _is _your fault."_

_Ichigo pursed his lips for a silent moment, before he spoke, bluntly, "So, whose fault is it? Is it yours? Because last time I checked, you were totally normal."_

_Raising an eyebrow, Rukia expelled a quiet breath of laughter, "I'm glad you think so."_

_He glanced up at her and gave a small smile, "Okay, you're not _totally _normal."_

"_If I wasn't heavily bearing your seed, I would beat the crap out of you." She sent him a slow, sweet smile._

_Ichigo smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow, "Mm… I'm sure you would, darling."_

"_Of course I would and you damn well know it, strawberry-head."_

_Leaning forwards and pressing his lips to hers, softly, he whispered into the kiss, "Then it's a good job you are heavily bearing my seed."_

_Raising her fingertips to his jaw, she closed her eyes and trailed her nails delicately along his burning skin, "Well, I won't be forever, _darling_. And I look forwards to the day where I can, once again, kick your ass."_

"_Don't raise your hopes, sweetheart, you'll be out of practice." He teased, quietly, sliding his hand to rest on her hip and tug at her robes._

_Rukia raised one arm to wrap around his neck and she kissed softly along his jaw towards his ear. Brushing her lips against his lobe, she purred, "I wouldn't worry about that. It won't take me long to get back into it."_

_Ichigo would never admit that right then, he was almost – emphasis on the 'almost' – scared._

_But he knew, that as soon as Rukia was back up to full health, she would see to it that his ass would be well and truly beaten…_

_He hoped she'd forget about it by then… _

"_You know what I'm looking forwards to after all this is over – aside from you abusing me?" Ichigo asked, his hands tightening on her hips._

_Twisting her fingertips around the hair at the nape of his neck, she asked, "When all what is over?"_

"_You know. The pregnancy and everything…"_

"_Oh? And… what would this thing you are so looking forwards to be?" She questioned, not bothering to conceal the amusement lacing her tones._

_Planting a kiss against the underside of her jaw and trailing his lips towards hers, he responded, "You."_

_Letting loose a hoarse laugh, Rukia shook her head and pulled back to look at him for a moment, "Well, if you're talking about what I think you are, then you can get that notion out of your head for a long time yet."_

"_What?" Ichigo stared at her, crest-fallen, "Why would you say that, Rukes?" _

"_Because, Captain Kurosaki, once the baby has been born, our lives will not go as swimmingly as you think. Sorry to break it to you, but we won't be making love for a very long time…"_

_This was information that Ichigo was positive he did not want to hear at all, "What No! Not even one little… tiny… session?" _

_Kissing his forehead, fondly, Rukia sighed, "Don't count on it."_

_He couldn't believe it, "But, Rukia! I haven't touched you like that in…"_

"…_6 months?" She offered, evenly, "I know. You think it doesn't bother me either?"_

"_Why, does it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, curiously at her._

"_Of course it does, Ichigo, but I'm just better at hiding it than you are." She reasoned, "I'm a professional at acting, remember?"_

"_Oh, yeah. How could I forget?" He muttered, "So when you say ' a long time'… just to clarify… that won't be longer than a few days until everything's settled down, right?"_

_Rolling her violet eyes, Rukia shook her head, "Ichigo, I'm sorry, but she will be a baby. They don't look after themselves. She'll be up at regular intervals in the night, need constantly looking after. Aside from that, we also have Hiro to look after. Parenting isn't as easy as you might think."_

_She confessed herself highly amused at the sheer mortification painting itself all over his features. Letting loose a gentle laugh, she kissed just behind his ear and tightened her arms around his neck, "Sorry to break it to you, Ichigo."_

"_Yeah. Me too." He responded, solemnly._

"_Do you need a minute's silence?" She teased, pulling him with her as she leaned back against his headboard._

"_No. I need sex. Brutus Maximus misses you." He whined, moodily, resting his forehead against her shoulder._

"_Yes, I miss him too." She patted his back, soothingly, still smiling to herself, fondly. He really was an idiot._

_But a cute idiot at least._

…_Not that she'd ever tell him that thought had crossed her mind._

"_But, honestly, you don't expect me to wait until after our honeymoon, right?"_

_Rukia laughed, softly, "Well, what do you think honeymoons are for?"_

"_Good point. But when we will have it?" He asked, popping his lips._

"_What – the honeymoon or sex?"_

"_Both, I guess." _

_She shrugged, kissing the top of his head, "All in good time, Ichigo. All in good time."_

"_Well good time isn't good enough." He whined, quietly._

_Rukia laughed and pulled him to lay beside her, wrapping an arm around his middle and resting her head against his shoulder, "Believe me, it will be sooner than you're expecting."_

_Wondering vaguely what that was supposed to mean, Ichigo suddenly felt the exhaustion consume his body and he mumbled an unintelligible complaint before relaxing against her._

_But, if only Rukia realised that not only would it be happening before Ichigo was expecting, but also it would happen far sooner than she was expecting too…_

_But… That would all be in good time, right?_

…_Right…_


	3. A Slice Of Heaven And A Taste Of Hell

**Sorry for the wait! It's been mental trying to get everything done! I hope I managed to reply to everyone, but thank you all anyway for reading. Especially, thanks to Bmast, peacemaker51, HollyRose93, beatboxpanda, mugetsu21, Hallie-Clancy and unnamed Guest reviewer! Your reviews are so helpful and encouraging! Again, sorry for the wait, but I promise I will try and update sooner!**

**As usual, forgive errors… it's late for me right now…**

"_Ichigo…?"_

_The knock on the door that interrupted Ichigo from filling out his paper was not a welcomed sound…_

… _Especially when the voice who it belonged to should have been running a shop somewhere down on Earth far, far _away _from Ichigo's office._

"_What, dammit, can't you see I'm busy working, Urahara?" He asked, tersely._

_Perhaps he wouldn't have usually been so uptight, but considering he really just wanted to get these damn papers finished and filed, so he could go and tend to his beautiful, heavily pregnant fiancée, he wasn't in the mood for entertaining guests._

_Especially this one._

_Surveying the orange-haired young man before him from beneath the rim of his green and white striped hat, Kisuke sighed, "Well, begging your pardon, your almightiness, but do you really think I'd be visiting you on a whim?" He asked, a little sarcastically._

_Well… he had a point._

_Ichigo dropped his pen down onto the desk and looked up at the man standing before him, "There's a thought… so why are you here, old man?"_

_Shrugging, Kisuke examined his nails, "Well, seeing as though you're being so rude, I don't know whether I want to–"_

"–Urahara_." Ichigo narrowed his amber eyes at the man opposite him and clenched his fist._

"_Alright, alright. Just thought you might be interested in finding out that your fiancée is currently in labour."_

"…'_in labour'…" Ichigo repeated, tasting the words on his tongue for a moment, before they suddenly sunk in, "_WHAT_?!" He stood up and stared incredulously at Urahara, "She's… I don't suppose… Why the hell did _you _come to tell me?"_

"_Well, considering you'd ignored the past three hell butterflies that squad 4 have sent you, they assumed you weren't getting the message and decided to send me along. And out of all the questions to ask, you ask why I was sent? Jeez, Ichigo… You are a mess."_

"_Oh, that's what they were about?" Ichigo frowned before the current issue at hand returned to the forefront of his mind, "You say she's at squad 4's barracks?" He asked, hurriedly, ushering Kisuke out the door, hardly able to believe that the day had finally come._

_He was still half-expecting it to be a false alarm. After all, they'd already had one of those._

_Well… two if you counted the time that Ichigo had panicked when Rukia said she was experiencing abdominal pains and Ichigo was halfway to taking her to squad 4 barracks before she managed to inform him through his wild shouts, that it was because she was hungry and had forgotten to have supper._

_Of all the rotten luck._

"_Uh, sure, but are you–" Kisuke exhaled as Ichigo vanished from plain sight and reappeared as a small spec in the distance, "Well, never mind then…"_

…

"_Where is she?!" He roared, bursting through the doors, his chest heaving. His eyes pinpointed on Hanatarou, and he hurtled towards the poor boy, grabbing his shoulders in both hands, "Well?!" He pushed his face closer to his and Hanatarou had difficulty composing his thoughts with the captain intimidating him in an all too familiar manner._

_Faintly, he raised one hand and pointed down the corridor, "Listen for the sound of–"_

"_WHERE THE _HELL _IS HE?!" The unmistakable voice of his betrothed drained every ounce of blood from his face and forced it to evaporate into thin air. _

_Releasing Hanatarou, he felt the adrenalin kick into his system and he blindly flash-stepped his way towards the room further down the corridor._

"_RUKIA!" He flung open the door and strode into the room, his eyes settling on the woman herself sitting up in the bed and –_

…_Well, there wasn't any need for an explanation. But it wasn't a pretty ordeal, and that much he could say. _

_Although Rukia was an excellent actress, there was no way she was able to disguise the worry and pain and whatever other feminine emotions women experienced during childbirth, from her features._

_Though he had to admit, she put on a brave face._

_As her eyes landed on him, everything suddenly seemed easier to cope with. It was silent for a moment as her weary arms reached out towards him and his name slipped from her lips in one quick breath._

_Immediately, he was by her side, kneeling by the bed, "Sorry it took so long, Rukes." He murmured, holding her gaze. _

_Though, it wasn't too long after their brief, sentimental greeting that Ichigo severely regretted placing his hand in hers._

_He was absolutely certain she was trying to break his fingers._

_Her eyes screwed shut and her teeth slammed down hard onto her lower lip – why was it he felt so damn helpless? _

_What could he do?!_

_Desperately, in an attempt at being helpful, he yelled, "Push, Rukia!"_

_She didn't appreciate that._

_As the, what he assumed to be, midwives surrounded her and busied themselves with helping the baby exit its previous home, Rukia snapped between heavy, ragged breaths, "What – do you – think I – am doing, moron?!"_

_Ichigo flinched, "Well, sorry, but I don't know what to do!"_

"_You can shut – the hell – up!" She shouted in reply, her body convulsing slightly._

_She was clearly a little too preoccupied to bother apologising, and besides which, right then she evidently had more pressing matters to attend to._

_Everything seemed to be passing in a quick, blurry haze for Ichigo – though Rukia may disagree – and he was completely unsure how many minutes had passed before a quiet whimper reached their ears._

_Suddenly, the entire world froze._

_After that it was all out of his hands and over his head._

_The soft sound they had heard ceased and a kind of gross looking bundle was whisked from their view and cleaned, or something, before Rukia finally let go of his hand._

_He retracted his damaged appendage from her, quickly, to examine the before anybody else could._

_Rukia was staring over at the… midwife people… tentatively, and utterly exhaustedly, as they came to clean her up and sort out all the bits and bobs of whatever it was that needed sorting out._

_Ichigo didn't really want to take too much notice in detail. _

_It was a good while before both she and the package were ready to be reunited again._

_Ichigo watched as the impatience nagged at her features and her arms lifted upwards towards the new arrival before she cradled it gently against her front, "Hello, baby." She murmured, her voice cracking from the strain._

_Ichigo daren't look at it._

"_Ichigo…" She breathed, not taking her eyes away from the baby, an expression on her face that Ichigo had never seen properly before; tender, protective, gentle and all full of love, "Ichigo, look at her…" She exhaled, blissfully._

_He crouched down and gingerly rested one arm around her shoulders, taking a quick peek at his new daughter._

_Well… it was only going to be a peek… but as soon as he looked at her, he was… besotted._

_Her eyes… they were like nothing he'd ever beheld in his life._

_Although they looked more like his colour than Rukia's – but closer to her shape, they were so pale it almost shattered his soul just holding her gaze for longer than a second. _

_Though, he was pretty sure babies couldn't hold gazes at least until they were six weeks old or something…_

…_Though his daughter was frightfully good at it._

_But of course she would be. She'd be good at whatever she wanted to be good at… Well… she _was _his daughter after all…_

_He smiled proudly at her and moved to rest one large hand lightly behind her head, running his thumb along her small tuft of fluffy, baby brown hair. In fact… it was difficult to tell whether her hair was extremely light brown, or very dark blonde._

_The words left his lips before he could think about what he was saying, "Masaki Hisana?" He suggested, softly._

_A small smile tugged at his fiancée's lips and she nodded, her eyes transfixed on her child, "Masaki Hisana." She repeated, quietly. _

_Ichigo couldn't help but notice how quiet and subdued everything seemed when Masaki… that was going to take some getting used to… was there._

_It was like… every bad thought that could possibly enter somebody's head would just slip and fade away._

_His thumb stroked across the top of her head, feeling the soft tufts again._

"_Isn't she beautiful…?" Rukia murmured, to which Ichigo nodded, slightly dazed. This was his and Rukia's baby. _

_She was quite possibly the most beautiful creation he had ever seen – despite the fact she was mildly disorientated from the birth. _

_Sure, he may have been a tiny bit biased, but there was something so pure and innocent about her._

_His finger moved down her smooth, white cheek and he slid it gently into her tiny hand, grinning widely as it tightened around him – of course… the grin didn't take long to disappear as he suddenly relived a shooting pain searing into his hand. With watering eyes, he managed to pull his finger away, refraining from wincing._

"_What happened to your fingers?" Rukia asked, interestedly, as she examined his purpling knuckles._

_Quickly hiding them behind Masaki's head, he paused before shaking his own head, "N…Never mind."_

_Rukia creased her eyebrows for a moment before shrugging, "By the way… sorry for losing my temper with you… I personally can't remember it… but I'm sure I did."_

"_Oh… nothing I'm not used to." He kissed her temple, reassuringly, "Now… when can we get out of here?"_

"_I don't know… as soon as they're satisfied that everything is okay."_

_Ichigo hesitated and brushed his daughter's cheek with the backs of his fingers, "She… She doesn't look like a Hollow." _

_Rukia nodded, "Neither do you, Ichigo. But give her time… and you'll take every word of that back, I can assure you. I know what she feels like when she's upset, Ichigo. She was in my inner world, remember? Trust me… this… is nothing like how she is when she's sad."_

_The couple weren't sure how long they sat quietly, admiring their new child before a small crease formed in her forehead and her mouth opened, an unhappy whimper escaping her lips._

"_What is it?" Ichigo panicked, straightening up, "Baby, don't cry!"_

_Rukia glanced up at Ichigo for a moment, sighing at his reaction. _

_If he thought this was bad, he would have to wait until she started wailing… _

_But soon, the whimper escalated, and before long, her entire face clouded over with distress and her eyes began to flicker from pale amber to… to light golden._

_Ichigo froze._

_Not already._

"_Rukia, what's the matter with her?" He asked, "Quick sort it!" He was practically begging as he heard her cries becoming unbearably high-pitched._

_Calmly, Rukia opened her gown at the front, "She's just hungry, Ichigo."_

"_Oh, gods. Please don't tell me we're going to be getting her turning Hollow before every meal time." He groaned, running a hand through his spikier-than-usual orange hair._

_Slowly, her yellowing eyes faded back to penetrating ambers and her squeals turned to satisfied, content murmurs. _

"_See," Ichigo whispered, quietly, "I told you your breasts are amazing."_

…

"_Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Hiro was bouncing excitedly up and down as he saw his father waiting outside of the academy, "Daddy! When do I get to see her?"_

_Ichigo laughed, "Soon, kiddo. Slow down! You'll end up making yourself dizzy!" _

"_But I want to see her _now_!" He complained, "Make us get there _faster_!"_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes at his son, "Listen, Hiro, we have to get to the portal first. Mama and Masaki are already down at Urahara's, resting."_

"_Daddy… Now." Hiro instructed, staring hard at his Father through deep amber stones, "Do I make myself clear?"_

_Ichigo blinked and raised his eyebrows, "Yes. Quite clear." He replied, scooping him up and slinging him easily over his shoulder. It didn't take long to flash-step their way to the portal and then make their way to Urahara's, with Hiro squealing happy sounds of delight the entire way._

_Ichigo was quite desperate to see his daughter, too. It had only been six hours since the birth, and two hours since he'd last seen her… but she was too beautiful and sweet to only get one look at._

_As soon as they entered the guest bedroom where Rukia was, Hiro ran over to his Mama and pulled back the cloth concealing his sister._

_For a moment his amber eyes widened, shortly followed by a quick creasing of his eyebrows, "_That _is my baby?" He asked, experimentally poking the smooth skin on her rounded cheek._

_Rukia laughed softly, running her fingers through his black, spiky hair, "She's your sister, yes."_

"_You don't like her?" Ichigo asked, resting one hand on Hiro's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze._

"_Well, she's alright." Hiro sighed, quietly, "I was hoping she'd be a bit more… easier to play with." He leaned forwards and looked at her face, pulling back after a moment upon feeling her piercing eyes land on him._

"_You just make sure you're being a good brother to her, okay?" Rukia told him, her tone mildly stern._

_He nodded, hurriedly, clambering up onto the bed and raising his hands, "I'll practice my Kido on her! Bakudo! Numb–"_

_Quickly, Ichigo slipped his hand in front of his son's mouth and laughed, "I don't think that is the best idea, son. We wouldn't want her to get upset."_

"_Why would she get upset?" He asked, curiously, shoving his father's hand away from his face and resuming to look at the new addition to the family._

"_Because she might want to move. She isn't a toy. You have to be gentle with her. Look…" Ichigo crouched down beside the bed and took Hiro's hand carefully in his own and ran the boy's small fingers along Masaki's head, catching her small tufts as he moved, "See? Like that."_

_Hiro nodded, transfixed, as he continued to stroke his sister's head, "Look, she likes it, Daddy. She's looking at me." He mumbled, quietly, before his expression fell, "Is it boring her? Look, she's falling asleep. Masaki! _Masaki_, wake up!" Leaning forwards, Hiro addressed his baby sister rather loudly and stopped stroking her head… much to her chagrin._

_A little disgruntled, she opened her pale eyes and stared irritably at this creature who was disturbing her relaxation time. Rukia glanced up at Ichigo and sighed, shaking her head, "Hiro, baby, you have to be quiet. It's good that you're sending her to sleep. It means she feels happy and content with you. You'll startle her if you're too loud."_

"_If she was happy, wouldn't she be jumping around and playing games with me? When can I get another one?" He asked, pulling away his hand from her head and sighing, frustrated, "She doesn't like me."_

"_You just have to be calm with her. She has to have time to learn how to jump around first. And you won't be getting another one… at least not for a long while." Rukia replied, a little hopefully. Two were quite enough. Especially for the time being._

_Hiro rolled his eyes and kneeled closer to the bundle, placing his hand lightly back on her head and resuming the soothing motion, "Fine. But she'd better like me for this."_

_Ichigo kissed his son's head and nodded, "Of course. You'll be the best big brother ever." _

…

"_I'm still not sure I completely understand how this works." Ichigo frowned, looking over at his fiancée who was bouncing Masaki gently up and down in her arms._

_Urahara sat back and raised his eyebrows at Ichigo._

"_This, being our baby." Rukia glanced reprovingly at Ichigo and he just nodded, reaching over to brush the edge of his finger against the baby's cheek._

_It was softer than any linen he'd ever felt before._

"_You know what I mean… Hollow wise." He muttered, turning his attention back to Kisuke, "Well?"_

_A small, playful smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and he readjusted his hat, "Well… sometimes during conception, if the two of you are getting in to it… like _really _getting into it… you know in the way that, say every other sound that comes out of her mouth is your name and–"_

_Rukia blushed, heavily, "–Urahara!" She scolded, unimpressed._

_His smirk just widened, "But… just say you are… sometimes certain hormones can be released. It must have been pretty animalistic for them to be released, though…" He mused, tapping his stubble-blanketed chin, thoughtfully._

"_Please, stick to the point, you pervert!" Ichigo rested both hands on his knees, glaring at Urahara, his ears burning. _

"_Well, look… sex with a Vizard can be intense, Rukia. I'm not sure you knew what you were getting into when you got with this guy." Urahara stated, matter-of-factly, brushing down his robe for a moment._

"_You would know?" Yoruichi narrowed her light yellow eyes and slapped him on the back of the head, moodily, as she strolled past._

"_Oh, I wonder who let the cat in." He remarked, unfazed, his smirk remaining exactly where it was._

_Her eyes flashed and she turned to him, "The same woman that's about to kick you out. I let myself in."_

"_Through the cat flap? I thought I nailed that shut." He mused, aloud, and sighed, "Never mind… Guess I'll have to use stronger nails. Anyway…" He continued, before Yoruichi could reply with a touchy remark, "…So, she probably picked up some kind of hormone or something from your sper–"_

"–_That's quite enough of that." Rukia interjected hurriedly, glancing down at her daughter, "There is a baby present after all."_

_Urahara shrugged and nodded, "Yes. I think we are all well aware of that fact." He glanced towards the door and sighed as Yoruichi stalked from the room, "Anyway, anything else?"_

_The couple shook their heads, and Kisuke just nodded in return._

"_Well, in fairness, Ichigo already knows a percentage of what she's going through. I imagine you'll be just fine." He gave a small smile before standing up and stretching, "Well, I'd better go see what the matter with my little kitten is. Maybe she had no luck with the mice today…" He sighed, stifling a yawn, "Just let me know if you need anything before you head off." Without another word, he followed Yoruichi through the door._

…

_Ichigo rapped his knuckles on the old, wooden door and took a step back, sliding his hands into his pockets. It felt good to be back in his body for a little while. He'd missed it, a tad. _

_Not that he would ever admit that to Rukia._

_She already had enough difficulty comprehending the fact that he was going to be technically killing himself so he could marry her… _

_What a joyful occasion that would turn out to be… _

_He sighed, and slid an arm around his betrothed, waiting until the door flung open and Isshin appeared in the doorway, "Is that my boy? And my third daughter? Come for a visit? At last?"_

"_Hey, hey, enough with all the questions." Ichigo rolled his eyes and wafted his Father away with a brief flick of his hand, before he stepped through the door._

"_Hey, don't forget about me!" Hiro complained, sticking his arms through the tight space between his parents and squeezing through into the entrance of the house._

_Isshin's eyes lit up, and he crouched down, scooping up his grandson into his strong arms and lifting him upwards, growling playfully, "Of course I didn't forget about you! Who could, you handsome little devil! I say handsome, because I believe you look very much like myself."_

"_Except better." Hiro added, giggling, and flinging his arms around Isshin's neck, "I want some sweeties, please."_

_Rukia shook her head slightly as she walked in, cradling the disguised bundle against her front; both her and Ichigo had decided to say nothing on the matter and just turn with a baby to see how his family reacted._

_Ichigo had assumed it would be funny. _

_Ichigo had assumed correctly._

"_So, what's new, kiddo?" Isshin asked, setting Hiro down on the floor and dipping into his coat to pull out a small bag of sweets – because that is the kind of thing that Granddads are made for. They always have a packet of sweets, or a random assortment of strange objects scattered about in their pockets, just in case one of the items may come useful one day._

_Well, Hiro could testify that a packet of sweets would most definitely always come useful. _

_He jumped up, excitedly, and expelled a quick 'thank-you-granddad' before cramming the soft sweets into his mouth, "Well…" He began, but was quickly silenced by Rukia and she ordered him quietly to finish his sweets before speaking._

_But Hiro was never one to give up. Just like his Father…_

_Concentrating very hard, he opened his mouth again, to try one more time, "Well, I – I…"_

_It was just too difficult!_

"_Hiro, that's enough." Ichigo warned him, sternly, "Where are the girls, anyway?" He asked, glancing about him as he kicked off his shoes and padded towards the front room, "They in?"_

_Isshin waited for a moment before he indicated for Hiro to follow his father into the room, "Well… they're… out. They shouldn't be back for too long. I told them seven is curfew…"_

"_Seven." Ichigo repeated, laughing, "As if that's going to happen. You coming in Rukia?" He called, before Isshin shook his head._

"_Of course, my beloved third daughter! How could I neglect you so?" He threw his hand across his forehead, dramatically, "Please forgive me! How is everything?" He asked, as Rukia stepped into the room, smiling slightly._

"_Oh, fine, thank you. I don't suppose you would mind holding this just for a moment, would you… just while I sit down?" She asked, to which Isshin bowed his head, respectfully._

"_With pleasure!" He reached forwards, and as his hands touched the small, warm bundle, he blinked in mild shock, "What's this?" He asked, pulling the baggage out of her arms, and almost dropping it in fright as his eyes landed on the miniature human swaddled up in baby clothes. _

_Well… it wasn't baggage._

_That was for certain._

"_Wh-wh… Is this… She… Is this…" He could barely finish his sentence, and Hiro laughed, giddily._

"_Surprise, Granddad!" He clapped his hands together and bounced up and down in his seat, "But don't drop her, or I'll have to beat you up." He added, cheerfully._

_Isshin managed a small breath of laughter, his eyes searching her face, "She looks so much like her…" He murmured, gently, entranced by the small baby's features and unbreakable stare._

"_Masaki. Masaki Hisana Kurosaki." Ichigo announced, smiling gently, before patting the seat beside him for Rukia._

_Isshin could hardly speak. _

_Neither of the other parties in the room could blame him._

_Ichigo rested his forearm on the top of Rukia's thigh as she sat down beside him, "Think he likes her?" He laughed, softly._

_Rukia subconsciously leaned towards Ichigo, her hand sliding to rest on his bicep, "Mm… Maybe a little." She smiled, kissing his shoulder._

_After a few moments, Ichigo sighed, and tapped his chin, "So, it's half past eight… Where did you say the twins were?"_

"_Out." Isshin repeated, "I don't know… They never tell me nowadays." He sighed._

_Arching his back, Ichigo sighed, "Come on then, Hiro. How about we go find your aunties and embarrass them in front of their friends, hm?" He asked, grinning wickedly._

_Mirroring his father's expression, Hiro nodded, eagerly, "Oh, yeah!"_

_As they stood up, Ichigo smiled and waved to the two, "We'll be back soon!"_

"_I wouldn't bother." Isshin told them, but the two apparently hadn't heard as the only reply was the front door closing._

_Rukia watched them fondly as they left and shook her head, smiling to herself._

"_So… How was everything?" Isshin asked, glancing up to look at Rukia, "Smooth birth?"_

_She shrugged, "As smooth as births can be, I suppose. Though, I don't think Ichigo would agree. I think I broke his fingers… though he doesn't know I know…" She laughed, quietly._

"_Wouldn't want to shatter his ego as well as his bones." Isshin contributed, smirking a little._

"_Mm… Well, she was a lot easier than Hiro. Though, I thought she would be more likely to put up a fight."_

"_Hm? Why's that?" Isshin creased his eyebrows, "Hiro's a pretty good fighter, himself."_

"_I know." Rukia nodded, quickly, before sighing quietly to herself._

"_Or did you mean that because she's a Vizard?" He asked, smiling back down at her and kissing her head._

_Rukia froze._

_Well, there wasn't a great deal more she could do._

"_What?" She asked, after a silent moment._

_Isshin's face fell and he replied, hurriedly, "Oh, nothing – nothing. I just assumed you… knew…"_

"_I do. She's my daughter. But… how do _you _know?" She asked, amazed._

_Isshin just laughed, good-naturedly, "I'm older than I care to admit. I know a Vizard when I see one. And she… is going to be… one _hell _of a Vizard."_

_Rukia was quiet._

_She often forgotten just how experienced Ichigo's father was._

_Of course there was nothing they could hide from him. He was practically omniscient…_

_She nodded, and exhaled, "That's what I'm afraid of."_

_Isshin gave a half smile, "She's gentle. You can tell." He murmured, "But, it's those eyes that tell me she is going to be powerful…" He added, running his fingertip down her tiny nose. _

_Rukia nodded again, "Yes. I've never seen eyes like hers."_

_He laughed quietly, "She is a picture of beauty. But of course she would be with you as her mother… and me as her grandfather." He grinned, cheerily._

_Smiling softly, she gave a soft breath of laugher, "Mm… I wonder when my boys will be coming back."_

"_Oh, give them time. I imagine Ichigo may not be so quick to leave once he finds them."_

"_Oh? What makes you say that?" Rukia asked, intrigued, to which Isshin laughed, shaking his head._

"_I'm sure you'll find out."_

_Well, meanwhile, the two boys were scouring the streets in search of the two twins, and it was only when Hiro had the genius idea to trace their 'spirit smell' as he called it, that they finally arrived at the local park. _

"_Hmm… well, there's a group of people down there…" He indicated to the bench and scooped Hiro up onto his shoulders, "Oh, Karin!" He called in the best womanly voice he could manage, "Yuzu, darling!"_

_The soft voices quietened in the near distance, and their heads glanced up to the advancing figure(s) – it was difficult to tell in the dark._

_As the two boys approached, Ichigo's eyes settled on his sisters and their two friends._

_Friends._

_Friends did not sit like that._

_Ichigo froze and his eyes rested icily on Yuzu sitting in the lap of a young… man…_

_He took a deep breath and shook his head._

_No._

_Not acceptable._

_Shifting his gaze to the left of her, he saw Karin perched on the edge of the backless bench, yet another young man sitting behind her, with his legs dangling either side of hers._

_Well, Rukia was right yet again._

_Ichigo most definitely was going to rip off this punk's arms. _

"_Something I'm missing?" He asked, lowering Hiro down to the ground and folding his arms._

_Yuzu gasped and stood up abruptly, pushing the boy off the bench and then apologising profusely for her sudden, uncontrollable actions._

_Well it saved Ichigo the job._

_He could feel the anger rise up in his chest and he stooped down, grabbing Karin's… friend… by the shoulder and pulling him backwards a little, "Hey there, jackass."_

_The boy turned and knocked Ichigo's hand from his arm, "Get off me, creep." He snarled, returning his arm to Karin's waist, who had by this point, decided to just close her eyes and hope that the situation just go away._

_She knew Ichigo wouldn't take this well. _

"_Hey there, jackass!" Hiro imitated his father and sauntered towards the boy that was currently on the floor. Scared witless, he stood up and brushed down his shorts._

"_I'm not a jackass!" He muttered, taking a step back, "Just who are you, anyway?" He asked. _

"_This, is my idiot brother." Karin stood up and pulled the growth sitting behind her upwards, "Just ignore him and maybe he'll go away. Real smart move bringing your son, moron." She scolded, "You haven't seen me for all these months and that's what you go and do?" She rolled her eyes and laced her fingers with her… no, he was not her boyfriend._

_He couldn't be._

_They were only like… twelve!_

_Okay… fifteen._

_But come on!_

"_Real mature." She muttered, sarcastically._

_Ichigo frowned and Hiro glanced up at his father for further instruction._

"_Go get him." He ordered, quietly, to which Hiro nodded, obediently._

"_Hiro, no." Yuzu shook her head, "No. That's naughty."_

"_But Daddy said–"_

"–_Daddy's being an idiot." Karin interrupted._

"_Stop fighting, please!" Yuzu begged, "I knew we should have gone home when Dad said."_

"_Hey, don't blame me. I told you that you should have." Karin replied, moodily, "Come on, Kenji." She muttered._

"_Kenji?" Ichigo repeated._

"_Yeah? That's my name." He turned and stared evenly at Ichigo, "But please don't use it again."_

_Ichigo laughed and took Hiro's hand in his, "Alright, you think you're a big man, yeah? You can keep the hell away from my sister." He warned, taking a step forwards, and Yuzu shook her head, standing in front of her boyfriend._

"_Ichigo, stop it." She said, quietly._

"_No, Ichigo, you're the one who's going to keep away from me. Leave Kenji the hell alone."_

"_What?" Ichigo was affronted, "_Excuse _me? You're choosing this little weed over your own brother?"_

"_A weed?" Kenji repeated, letting go of Karin's hand and moving towards Ichigo, shoving his chest, hard, "You think I'm a weed? Why don't you just try me, carrot head?" _

_Ichigo let go of Hiro's hand and shoved the boy back a step, "Don't touch me. Touch me again and I break your arms."_

"_Ichigo, not while Hiro's here!" Yuzu shouted, "Use your brain!"_

"_You honestly think he's got one of those up there?" Karin spat, "Kenji, just leave him. He's not worth it."_

_That may have touched a nerve, "Then you can kiss your chance of meeting your niece goodbye." _

_Karin stilled and began to shake a little; she had a niece?_

_Rukia had finally given birth?_

"_Fine." She replied, her voice hard, "Screw you, idiot." She pulled Kenji towards the patch of trees, fuming as she went. _

_Ichigo clicked his tongue, and scooped up Hiro in his arms, "Come on, son, we'll leave it. You coming, Yuzu? Or are you going to choose your new friend over family too?" He challenged, to which Yuzu nodded, hurriedly. _

"_O-Of course. I'll see you soon." She kissed the boy on the cheek quickly and turned to follow her brother home._

_One thing was for sure… all hell would break loose as soon as Karin stepped through the door._

…

_Yuzu's prediction couldn't have been more accurate._

"_Don't even talk to me, Dad." Karin warned, slamming the door behind her, "I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it."_

_Isshin straightened up and pressed a finger to his lips, "The kids are sleeping, Karin. And you have no idea what I was going to say. So, why don't you just head on up to bed before you cause an argument?"_

"_Yeah, I would get the blame, wouldn't I? But what about your stupid son?! He started on Kenji! While Hiro was there! What sort of pathetic idiot does that?!"_

"_Yeah? Well, if he wasn't running his hands all over my sister, then maybe I wouldn't have got angry! If you just told me that you had a boyfriend instead of keeping it all to yourself, maybe I would have been more understanding!" Ichigo interrupted, furiously._

"_I don't need your permission, bonehead! It's my life and I'll do what I want with it."_

"_Quiet. Both of you. Karin. Bed. Ichigo. Front room." Isshin stepped between them, their faces getting closer and closer in their blind rage, "Now."_

_Karin rolled her eyes and turned to stomp up the stairs, "Whatever!" She snarled, her bedroom door crashing shut behind her._

_Ichigo mooched into the sitting room and shook his head._

_His father followed him and sat down, "Sorry I didn't tell you. It was stupid not to." He muttered, "I just assumed it wasn't my place to say… and I hoped you would be old enough to not do anything stupid… especially with your son present."_

_Ichigo couldn't mistake the hard undertone of Isshin's words and he folded his arms tightly across his chest, "Believe me… I know Hiro will one day be exactly the same." He muttered._

"_That isn't comforting, Ichigo. Listen… Karin's going through a tough time, okay?"_

"_You don't say." He replied, sarcastically, "Along with every other person in the entire world. I can't believe she chose him over her own brother!" He exclaimed, loudly._

"_Quit sounding like a whiny bitch and grow up!" A muffled voice from the regions of the upstairs drifted through into the living room and Ichigo gritted his teeth._

"_She has a point." Isshin sighed, "Just give it time, Ichigo. And you need to let go of the fact that they aren't ten years old anymore, okay? They're fifteen. You were too once…" He reminded him, quietly._

"_I know… I know, alright? It's just that I hate to think that I don't even know anything about these douche bags they're dating." He grumbled, before wiping his face, "Anyway, I'm going to bed. I can't take any more of this." Ichigo stood up and clenched his fists, stalking back up to his bedroom to see his old bed replaced with a double, and Rukia passed out under the covers._

_Masaki was sleeping soundly, the quiet sounds of her breathing managing to slowly calm Ichigo down. _

_Though, he was still barely able to even think straight._

_He ground his teeth together as he undressed himself for bed, and sliding in beside Rukia._

"_Ichigo, it was bound to happen at some point." _

_He jolted a little at her voice, "What? I thought you were asleep…"_

_Letting loose a gentle, soothing laugh, she turned over on her side to face him and slid her slender fingertips along the defined contours of his chest and kissed his burning skin, "Mm… with all that commotion… I doubt it." _

_An exhausted breath left his nose and he shook his head, "I can't believe it."_

_She ran her lips up the side of his arm and exhaled, "Ichigo… think about it tomorrow. Just enjoy the peace and quiet we have now, okay?"_

"_Peace and quiet?" He laughed, drily, "Mm… yeah. Certainly feels that way…"_

"_Just enjoy it, Ichigo." She told him softly, "It's just me and you…"_

_Turning his head to look at her, he was able to send her just a small smile, "Yeah, you're right." Brushing a lock of her raven hair behind her ear, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I can't wait to make love to you again."_

"_Please don't remind me of the wait, Ichigo…" She muttered, rolling her violet eyes._

"_Rukia…" He mumbled, rolling onto his side and sliding an arm around her hips, his lips levelling with hers._

"_Mm?" She answered, tiredly._

"_Are we… we are going to get married soon, right?"_

_She opened one of the eyes she had closed and allowed a small smile to tug at one corner of her lips._

_Placing her soft hand against his cheek, she murmured, "Do you want to?"_

"_Of course I do, you pleb. I wouldn't have asked you otherwise." He muttered in reply._

_Raising her eyebrows, and opening both eyes, she gave a short laugh, "Excuse me? A pleb? Do you even know what that word means?"_

_He shrugged one shoulder, lazily, "It just felt right to say at the time…"_

"_Moron. It's short for plebeian, and means commoner. I do hope you're aware that you're speaking to a noble." She teased, tapping his nose lightly._

"_Oh… And how does it feel to be sleeping alongside a commoner?" He asked, laughing softly._

"_Not so bad." She smirked, kissing his cheek, fondly._

_Ichigo smiled and settled further down into the bedding, "Well, I was thinking that when Masaki grows a little bit more, and we feel comfortable enough to leave her with somebody else, like my Dad, or whatever, then we can spend some time on our honeymoon… alone…?" He suggested, smiling._

_Returning his smile and sliding her fingertips deftly down his jawline, she nodded, "Mm… I like the sound of that…"_

"_Like the sound of what?"_

_Lifting her head up, Rukia glanced over at the door and sighed, "Hiro, what are you doing up? Get back to bed." She commanded, her eyebrows raised, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"_

"_Can't sleep." He replied, simply, heading over to the cot that Isshin had put up and leaning over the side to look at his sister, "Especially when you all get to see her and I don't." _

"_Hiro." Rukia warned, sternly, propping herself up to get a better look at her son, "Mama and Daddy are trying to sleep and so is Masaki."_

"_No, you weren't. You were staying up late and chatting." Hiro protested._

"_Bed. Now." _

_But Hiro just didn't seem to understand what those words meant, "but I…" He mumbled a few incoherent excuses, still smiling gently at his baby sister._

_Rukia shook her head, and Ichigo sighed, sliding out of bed. His fiancée was far too weak and tired to be her usual self, and he reckoned that words weren't going to do much against his son right then._

_Picking Hiro up and holding him against his chest, Ichigo raised his eyebrows, "Hiro." He said quietly, "You heard your mother. It is very late and past your bedtime. Unless you don't go to bed right now, Mama and Daddy are going to get upset." He told him, before taking him back to his bedroom and settling him down in the spare bed, "Now go to sleep, kiddo, you can see her in the morning."_

_Hiro stifled a yawn and nodded, his eyes closing, "Fine… night, Daddy."_

"_Night." He closed the door and headed back into bed, his eyes drooping._

"_Now there's finally peace and quiet." He sighed, pulling the quilt around them and staring blankly up at the ceiling._

"_Well, you should make the most of it." She murmured, running her fingers down his stomach, lightly._

"_Oh? And what makes you say that?" He asked, a little distractedly._

_He could feel the small smirk on her lips as she pressed them against his jaw, "Because, baby… guess who's visiting here tomorrow?"_

"_Who?" Ichigo mumbled, almost consumed by sleep._

"…_My darling brother."_


	4. Hiccough

**I am fully aware the majority of you are probably getting a little impatient. I promise you after I finish college (Not long left now!) that I will be updating a lot better. Damn deadlines! I have not given up on this story and I fully intend to finish it. Thank you to all those who have offered their support as well as reviews! So a special mention to my reviewers: VenomSpider33, HollyRose93, Bmast, peacemaker51, xXColdFusion13Xx, DarkRose04, Zangetsu12, xfarrenx and the unnamed guest reviewer. I really, **_**really **_**appreciate your reviews! Please don't forget to let me know what you think to this. Again, so sorry for the wait!**

"_Mama!" The loud, childlike yell from downstairs reached both Ichigo's and Rukia's unwilling ears, and they exchanged one small glance, their eyes conveying a strain that could only be caused by one anticipation, "Uncle Bya is here!"_

_Ichigo stopped chewing on his nails, agitatedly, and stood up, his back straight, "Can I just ask why your brother is visiting us here? Couldn't he have just waited until we got back home?" He asked, "You could have told him to wait, couldn't you?"_

"_It wasn't me who asked him to visit, Ichigo." She answered him, tartly, "It was your Father. It would not be my place to resend his invitation, would it? Now belt up and take it like a man." She hopped lithely from his bed and landed just beside Masaki's cot, "Hey, baby." Her expression softened as her deep violet eyes landed on her daughter, and she reached into the cot, slipping her hands beneath the baby's arms. Masaki blinked up at her mother and hiccoughed once._

"_Why are you so adorable when you do that?" Ichigo was standing behind Rukia as he looked down upon Masaki's face. After Rukia had lifted her up and out of the cot, cradling her to her chest, Ichigo brushed his fingertip down her cheek before falling silent and taking a step back._

_Rukia kissed the baby's head, affectionately, before she glanced over at her fiancé, "What is it?" She asked him, her voice lowering slightly._

"_What's what?" He responded, raising his eyebrows, as he snapped out of the trance he wasn't even aware he was caught up in._

_Rukia, the ever omniscient, just surveyed him for a prolonged moment, "Tell me what you're thinking right now." She commanded him, lightly bouncing Masaki to keep her content._

"_I… I was just thinking that I wish I could've been there for Hiro sooner. I missed this stage with him, and it really upsets me." He frowned, holding his arms out for Masaki._

_Rukia sighed, and gently placed her in her father's arms before she pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, "Ichigo, the important thing to remember is that you're here for him now. He can't remember being a baby, and I know it's upsetting that you missed that stage of his life. But you need to be grateful that you have Masaki now. You can be there for her. That is a blessing and you need to remember it."_

_Ichigo began to pat Masaki's back gently, before nodding, "You're right." _

"_Mamaaaa!" _

"_Alright, Hiro, we're coming down!" Ichigo shouted in response, before Masaki jolted in his arms and began to sniffle._

"_Ichigo, you made her jump." Rukia scolded, leaning forwards to kiss her daughter's fluffy hair, managing to calm her down again. _

"_Sorry. I didn't mean to…" He muttered, before they both headed through the door and down the stairs, where the presence of Byakuya could certainly not go amiss._

_He was perched, a little stiffly, on the edge of one of the chairs, a diluted disgruntled flicker behind his eyes as he awaited his niece's arrival. Hiro was sitting in his lap, playing with one of his uncle's hands, smiling happily to himself._

_Isshin was busy making tea, humming cheerily in the kitchen, knowing it was a good job that he had invited Byakuya when his own daughters would not have been there. Poor Byakuya would have been the victim of a lot of teasing abuse had Karin been present. She would have had a lot of fun asking him questions and commenting on how "lovely" his robes looked._

_He sighed to himself. He could not understand what had gotten into her lately. Why was she acting so cold, and Yuzu so quiet?_

_At the sound of a slight gurgle from Masaki coming from the doorway into the living room, Byakuya's head whipped around – well, he inclined it towards the door and his steely grey eyes rested on Ichigo and the small bundle._

_Squirming from Byakuya's lap and landing on the floor, Hiro bounded towards his parents, and tugged at Masaki's foot, "Hey, Saki, psst."_

_Ichigo refrained from rolling his amber eyes, as he lowered his daughter down to Hiro's level for a moment._

"_Look, Saki. You can _like _him, alright?" He told her, "But you just can't like him as much as you like me, okay? Are we clear?" _

_Both Ichigo and Rukia managed a small laugh, despite the tension thickening the density of the room._

_Standing up, Byakuya nodded his head, curtly, "Rukia." He greeted, awkwardly._

_Her tones were civil as she returned his gesture, "Brother." She reached over to Ichigo's arms and had a little difficulty getting him to relent his hold on Masaki, before he finally accepted that he didn't want to be the one who had to show his baby off as though she was the prize pumpkin in a festival. _

_Rukia supported Masaki in her arms as she took a step closer to her brother, "Byakuya, this is your niece, Masaki Hisana Kurosaki."_

_His own mask faltered._

_Some kind of emotion – it was difficult to tell what – danced behind his frozen, grey eyes, illuminating the metallic shades into life._

_Masaki… Hisana._

_They had named her after his wife._

_Byakuya appeared completely uncertain on how to react. He just stood mute._

_Interested by who the new visitor could possibly be, Masaki turned her face from her mother's and opened her eyes fully, fixing the pale irises directly onto his suddenly dilating pupils._

_Rukia knew it must have been a little unnerving for him._

_Masaki had a very forward, unashamed stare – to some it may have appeared potentially intrusive, but Masaki was a baby. _

_All babies were intrusive._

_That was something the world would have to deal with._

_Swallowing, Byakuya seemed a little discomforted by the sudden acknowledgement of the baby's gaze and he shifted his weight onto one foot, completely transfixed._

_Ichigo slid one arm around Rukia's waist as he observed Byakuya, his eyes narrowed slightly. _

"_She's…" He had attempted to use the familiar, drawling tones he was so accustomed to using when addressing… well… anybody… but Masaki seemed to have this power that just broke everybody else's facades. So, as a result, Byakuya actually spoke freely as himself, his sarcastic tone no longer masking his genuine voice as he continued to murmur, "She's captivating." He concluded._

_Rukia nodded, smiling slightly, "I know. Would you… would you like to hold her?" She asked, ignoring the way Ichigo's arm tightened around her, reflexively._

_Byakuya's initial response may have been to flash-step away, screaming – or rather, politely decline and suddenly remember about an important meeting he had to attend, or something. But instead, he found himself nodding, "Yes, Rukia. I would."_

_Holding down the vomit as he watched with a sour expression, Ichigo grumbled quietly to himself as his fiancée carefully handed their daughter over into Byakuya's arms._

_Rigidly, he held her against his chest, staring down at her with wide eyes. _

_Ichigo rather hoped Masaki would start bawling just to see how Byakuya would react._

_Then again, he would probably drop her or something. But that way, at least he wouldn't be allowed to hold her again._

_He smirked as he watched Byakuya try to make head or tail of the situation he found himself in, and he could not disguise his snort as Masaki quickly flung her tiny hand to his robes and tightened her fingers around the material. He found it amusing just because he had never seen Byakuya flinch before._

_Receiving a chastising glare from Rukia, Ichigo rolled his eyes and averted his vision elsewhere. He would only find more things to laugh at if he kept watching Byakuya with Masaki._

_He scoffed at the mere notion._

_Byakuya holding a baby!_

_This would never get old._

"_I made tea!" The ever cheery voice of Ichigo's father sounded from the kitchen and he bounded into the room, clutching a tray, "English style!"_

"_Oh, goody." Ichigo exhaled and decided the best way to cope with the current situation (the current situation being his father offering Byakuya tea) by sitting down on the chair and folding his arms._

_Clearly, today was going to be a long day._

…

_After several rounds of tea, and a rather awkward ordeal of bidding Byakuya farewell, Rukia decided it was Masaki's bedtime; and Ichigo wasn't too opposed to the idea of retiring to bed, either._

_Ichigo stepped out of the bathroom and headed into his bedroom to see Rukia cooing gently to Masaki, as she stood by the window._

_Silently, he leaned against the doorpost, a small, half smile tugging at one corner of his lips._

_The shafts of moonlight filtered through the curtains and reflected in an almost ghost-like fashion from her pale skin. _

_The lilac nightie draped over her gentle curves was enough to remind Ichigo just how deprived of physical intimacy he actually had been._

_Of course, it was clear he wouldn't be getting anything just yet._

_He wasn't exactly just referring to sex. Both he and Rukia had been too tired to even hold each other for an hour before sleep. It had been a set routine of taking shifts looking after Masaki when she awoke during the night – and that was enough to drain them of energy throughout the days._

_The only time they really got to spend any alone time together was when they were already in bed – asleep._

_She was humming softly, the melody leaving her lips a sound he had never heard before._

_Why had she never told him she could sing?_

_He watched her, entranced._

_Why was it he suddenly had the feeling there was so much more to discover about his fiancée than he had thought possible?_

_The velvet wrapping around her quiet murmurs lulled him into a dreamlike sense of safety and security; it was the kind that made his throat dry and his chest ache with a hunger that food could not satisfy._

_He wanted her._

_Gods above, he _needed_ her._

_Masaki had slipped off into slumber, curled into her mother's arms, the sound of her lullaby keeping her quiet._

_Ichigo watched as Rukia stood for a moment longer, her slender fingers brushing Masaki's cheek, before he took the length of the room in two silent strides, "Why did you never tell me you could sing?" He murmured, his hands sliding to rest on her hips as he pulled her back firmly against his chest._

_Mildly startled, Rukia glanced up from Masaki's sleeping form and met Ichigo's eyes, her chin turned towards her shoulder, "What?"_

"_You were singing." He mumbled, brushing his lips across the nape of her neck._

_Exhaling to herself, her eyelids slid over her violet irises, "I was not singing. I was humming."_

"_Oh, sorry. I forgot there was such a difference." He muttered, sarcastically, "But, you never told me you sounded so… angelic when you did it."_

_Feeling her eyes drift open, Rukia sighed, "I've never sung before… well, before Hiro. I used to sing to him. It was the only thing that would settle him as a baby."_

_Feeling a pang of regret strike him yet again, he nodded, "Mm… I wish I could've heard it. You sound so beautiful when you do it, Rukia."_

"_Nonsense." She clicked her tongue and moved to place Masaki carefully in her cot, tucking her in beneath the comfortable blankets. _

"_Why do you always brush off every compliment somebody gives you?" He asked, "You _are _beautiful, Rukia, and it's about freakin' time you accepted that fact."_

_She chose not to speak. She just kept her eyes on Masaki for a prolonged moment, her palms pressed on the wooden railing surrounding the crib._

"_Hey, were you listening to me, Rukia?" He asked, frowning lightly._

_She just nodded and turned around to face him, her back resting against the wood, "Yes, Ichigo, I was listening._

"_So… why don't you ever accept a compliment?" He asked again, stepping either side of her feet and lowering his fingers to rest on her hips._

_She placed her hands flat against his biceps and kept her eyes focused on his chest before they flickered up to his, "I just don't, okay?"_

"_Well, you should." His protest was soft as his lips tilted downwards, brushing lightly against hers, "Because if there is one woman in the entire existence of… everything… who deserves to feel good, Rukia Kuchiki; that woman is you." _

_Once again, she said nothing, but twisted her fingers into his pyjama top, "Why are you wearing this?" She asked, quietly._

_Raising one eyebrow, Ichigo laughed a low response, "Because it's comfortable… Why?"_

"_Just wondering." She shrugged, her nails dragging down his chest towards his stomach – which had automatically tensed under her touch, "I was also just wondering… When are you intending on taking it off?"_

"_Oh." He breathed, "Feel free to remove it whenever you want."_

"_Don't mind if I do." _

_Oh, gods above._

_He exhaled, his eyes closing as her fingers brushed his skin, rolling the bottom of his shirt upwards. Eventually seeing it drop to the floor, Ichigo opened his eyes fully and stared down at her, "Better?" He asked, resting his hips against hers, relishing the way her breath caught in her throat the way it always used to._

"_Mm." Sliding her arms to wrap around his neck, she pulled his head closer to rest against his, "Much."_

_Smiling, he pulled her away from the cot and directed her towards the bed, pushing her backwards onto the mattress. Pulling him down with her, Rukia's eyes opened, an old, familiar spark glimmering behind her pupils, her perfect, white teeth resting on her lower lip, "Ichigo…"_

_The way his name rolled off his tongue was almost too much for him to cope with. The hot, blinding adrenalin that pumped through his veins reminded him just how much he had missed sharing this passion with her._

_As he lowered her down onto the bedding, he brushed a lock of raven hair behind her ear, a small smile tugging at his lips, "Have I told you how much I love you, lately?"_

_Sliding her fingertips between his brash, orange spikes, she laughed, "I don't mind hearing it again…"_

"_Well, I–"_

"–_I don't care! I can do what I want, Dad!"_

_The angry yells of Karin sliced Ichigo's sentence right in half as she stormed past his room, slamming her bedroom door closed._

_Ichigo felt every pleasant sensation drain from his body and he growled, moodily, his eyes closing._

_There was a small, timid knock on Ichigo's door, and he kissed Rukia briefly on the lips before pulling away, "Yeah? Who is it?" He attempted to conceal the hoarseness of his voice and stood up, folding his arms across his heaving chest._

_Moving to stand beside him, Rukia watched as the door opened and a nervous looking Yuzu pushed open the door to her brother's room, "Ichi… Ichigo? Rukia?" _

"_Yuzu." He dropped his arms to his sides and exhaled, "What is it?"_

"_Well, there's a few things… One… I know you probably don't want me to, but please… can I see the baby?" She asked, hopefully._

_Ichigo was in his damn right mind to refuse._

_Why the hell should he let her? It wasn't as though she had particularly treated him like a decent sibling should, was it?_

_Taking a step forwards, Rukia held out her hand, "Of course, Yuzu. She's sleeping, so you won't be able to hold her. Maybe in the morning though." She knew exactly what Ichigo was thinking, and she was not about to let Masaki be used as a tool against Ichigo's family relationships._

_Slipping her hand into Rukia's, Yuzu followed her over to the crib and felt her breath catch in her throat, "She's… she's beautiful." She whispered, awed. _

_Giving a small smile, Rukia nodded, "She is."_

_After a few moments, Yuzu glanced up at Ichigo, "Also… there's something else I want to ask…"_

_Relaxing his shoulders a little, Ichigo nodded, "Go on."_

"_Well, actually, it's more something I want to ask Rukia…" She trailed away, "I would ask you Ichigo, but it's just that Karin won't listen to you or me anymore. Something isn't right with her." The almost inaudible tone she murmured with was cracking with sadness, "Please, Rukia, talk to her. She won't listen to us. You're the only one who seems to be able to get anything out of her now. Please."_

_She was unable to refuse the pleas of this girl. Ichigo's sisters were pretty much her sisters too. There was hardly anything she wouldn't do to help them. Bowing her head in consent, she accepted, "I will. Of course I will. But I don't know if she'll listen to me either."_

"_Thank you. And anything is worth a try." Yuzu gave a weak, tearful smile before she backed out of the room, the door creaking shut._

_Silently, Ichigo sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at Rukia, not entirely sure what he was waiting for._

"_Well, I suppose I'll be right back." She leaned closer to him and placed a kiss on his head, "Don't wait up for me, baby."_

_He nodded, his back hunching a little as he watched her exit the room._

_What was it that had made Karin change so much all of a sudden?_

_Why was she so bitter towards everything now? _

_Well, if anybody was about to find out, it was going to be Rukia._

…

_Tapping her knuckles against the wood of Karin's bedroom door, Rukia sighed, quietly, awaiting a response._

"_Piss off, will you?" Karin growled, her voice strained as though she was fighting the tears away with every ounce of self-control she had._

"_It's Rukia, Karin. Can I come in for a minute or two?" She asked, leaning her ear to the door._

_After a long pause, Karin muttered, "Fine."_

_Once the door had closed behind her, Rukia glanced about her. Karin's room had changed a considerable amount since the last time she had been in it._

_All the walls were concealed by posters of her favourite bands, photos of her and her friends and some of her and her boyfriend; quite a significant difference._

_Rukia said nothing, but just perched herself on the end of Karin's bed, watching as she shuffled further upwards to make room. She was busying herself on her phone, purposefully avoiding Rukia's eye._

"_This looks like it must have taken a long time to decorate." Rukia commented, quietly, "How long did it take?" _

_Shrugging one shoulder, Karin replied, "I started it a few months ago. Just been working on it ever since."_

"_Ah, I see. Is this one your boyfriend?" She asked, examining one of the photos on the wall._

"_Look, you don't have to do this." She sighed, tapping away on her phone, "I know you're only here because Yuzu wanted you to be."_

"_Listen to me, Karin. I'm here because I care about you. I know those words aren't so easy for you to hear. They aren't easy for me to say. But they're true. Remember how we used to chat? You used to talk to me about things?"_

"_Things like what?" Her reply was a little deadpan and the older girl chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, pushing away the threats of fatigue clouding her head._

_She surveyed her boyfriend's younger sister and gave a small smile, "Whatever you felt like. Just remember we're more similar than a lot of people realise."_

_When the younger girl did not reply, Rukia glanced back up to the photo, "So… is this him, then?" _

_Nodding a little stiffly, Karin replied, "Yeah. Kenji."_

"_Is this the guy we spoke about a while back?" _

"_What? Oh, no. That guy is long gone. He couldn't deal with me, or so he said." She muttered, "That seems to be the case with a lot of people nowadays."_

_A little surprised, Rukia raised her eyebrows, turning to look at her, "What makes you say that?"_

"_Well, it's so frustrating! All I want to do is go out and have fun and live my life the way all other teenagers do, but Dad keeps saying I can't do this, or I can't do that. So, I got pissed off and now everybody thinks I'm this rogue teenager who... Whatever."_

_She kept quiet, waiting for Karin to continue._

_Filling the silence was not necessarily the best way to keep a conversation flowing. This was something Ichigo had taught her. He knew when something was wrong – and if his pestering didn't work, he would keep silent, always waiting for Rukia to speak. He knew she didn't like to be pushed._

_Karin was no exception._

_After what felt like several minutes, said girl sniffed, and balled her hands up into tight fists, "Everyone expects me to be strong all the time. Yuzu looks up to me. Dad expects us to learn how to be women on our own. I know it isn't his fault. But I don't know how I'm supposed to act without a mother, Rukia. It's so difficult. I know I never really knew her very well, but it doesn't mean that I still can't miss her. And now Ichigo hates me for being the way I am. But I had to turn to someone. I know I'll ever admit it to anyone besides you, Rukia, but I am not as independent as I make myself out to be. Kenji was there to help me get over my other boyfriend who was a bastard, anyway. He understands me, Rukia. And I didn't mean to push Ichigo away, but I just have all this anger… and I don't know where to put it." _

_Rukia watched the girl beside her focus her fury into one, blinding glare._

_It was painful to watch her struggle – she understood perfectly. _

"_Ichigo doesn't hate you." _

"_What?" Karin glanced up at Rukia, her eyebrows creased, "Of course he does. I've turned into a selfish little–"_

"–_No, Karin. Calling yourself names like that is not going to help you feel better. You'll just feel worse about yourself. Listen to me, how many girls your age have seen or been through what you've been through?"_

"_I don't… I don't know." She murmured, her jaw set._

"_Not many. Now look at you. You are smart, beautiful and strong. I know you probably wouldn't want to listen to me. I'm neither your mother, nor your blood sister. But I am your friend, Karin. Both Ichigo and I do love you. He just wants to look out for you. Now… both he and I want you to do us both a favour."_

"_What?" She asked, her eyes lifting to settle on Rukia, questioningly._

"_Will you be our bridesmaid? Both you and Yuzu?" _

"_Are you serious?" Karin's voice was still, as though she was scared to acknowledge the fact that she hadn't, in fact, misheard Rukia._

"_Of course I'm serious." Rukia laughed, softly, rolling her eyes, "I don't think there are two girls I'd rather have. And you're welcome to bring Kenji, though I think perhaps he and Ichigo have a bit of making up to do…" _

_A small smile tugged at the younger girl's lips before she nodded, "Okay. Sure."_

_Standing up and brushing down her nightie, Rukia looked upon her, fondly, "Good. Well, I'll probably see you in the morning… and you can get a look at your niece."_

_Karin was just silent._

_It was only when Rukia reached the door that she heard a slight sniff, "Rukia?"_

"_Mm?" Her hand rested on the door handle and she glanced over her shoulder, waiting for Karin to speak._

"_Well… thanks… a lot. I mean it."_

"_Thank _you_. Thank you for letting me in. Goodnight, Karin."_

…

_Rukia had assumed the moment had passed between her and Ichigo, as she pushed open the bedroom door, sighing a little to herself._

_But she was surprised to find herself suddenly backed up against the wall, a pair of large hands pressed against the silk of her nightie. _

_Automatically, her hands slid to rest on the firm chest before her, the ache in her stomach intensifying._

_His hot breath against her neck was almost more than she could take, "Ichigo…" She murmured, quietly, directing him backwards towards the bed._

"_Mm?" The low growl accompanying his mumble was almost too much for her to take. Before either of them could protest, Rukia had pushed him back onto the mattress and straddled his hips, the need burning in the very core of her stomach._

_But the whimper she heard was not leaving her lips. It certainly wasn't leaving his, either._

_Glancing up, she saw the bundle in the cot shift, and a small, disgruntled expression on the baby's face appear from behind the blankets._

_Biting back her complaints, Rukia slid of Ichigo and stood up, exhaling, moving over to the crib to pick up her daughter._

_Groaning loudly in reprove, Ichigo dropped the back of his head onto the pillows, "Can we not just ever have one moment to ourselves?"_

"_Apparently not. Besides, Masaki's hungry…"_

_Interestedly, Ichigo opened one eye and flickered his stare over to Rukia and the baby, "I swear that baby gets to touch your boobs more than I do…" He complained, before sliding his palms behind his head, "So… when can we set a date for the wedding?" He asked, softly._

"_Well, when Masaki's about 6 weeks, depending on how mature her soul is, she should be able to be left with your father for a week or so. I mean… we don't want to miss anything major, do we?" _

"_Mm. I would say a week and a half should be sufficient time; don't you agree?"_

"_I do. But, Ichigo, there's something I should tell you. I asked Karin to be a bridesmaid. I haven't asked Yuzu yet, but I will tomorrow."_

"_Oh." Ichigo replied, turning onto his side, "What did Karin have to say to that?"_

"_She said thanks. She will do it, Ichigo. You really mustn't be too tough on her. Surely you remember what it was like for you at her age. All she wants is to feel loved and valued."_

_He said nothing, but folded his arms, still remembering the way she chose some little rat over her own brother. _

_But everyone made mistakes._

But she still chose him over you, strawberry-head.

_Ichigo placed a hand over his eyes, "It doesn't matter. She's my sister. I have to forgive her."_

You shouldn't be so quick to forgive, Ichigo. It'll only make you look weaker.

"_Well, I don't care how weak it will make me look. Forgiving her will make us stronger. I have to be the example here. Don't you see?" _

_His Hollow did not reply._

_Typical._

_Rukia watched him, a subtle frown on her lips; but she also said nothing._

"_So… Six weeks?" Ichigo asked, raising his eyebrows._

"_We'll go with seven. To be safe. We can start making invites later…" Rukia answered, once she had finished feeding Masaki, and placed her carefully back into the cot, humming quietly to soothe her._

"_Yeah, or ask Yuzu to help. She's good at that sort of stuff."_

_Rukia nodded and slid between the sheets, "Mm…" She murmured, burying her head into the pillows. Turning onto his side, Ichigo wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her back into his chest, "We will make love again… at some point…"_

"_Mm… don't doubt it…" The mumble trailed away into an incoherent utter before Ichigo knew she had fallen fast asleep. _

_Well… sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea right then…_

_Not a bad idea at all…_

…

"_Mama?" Hiro was chewing thoughtfully on his bacon, his eyes resting on his mother, "Mama, how are babies made?"_

_Ichigo snorted into his cereal and, as a result, abruptly began to choke._

_Patting him reassuringly – though it didn't feel particularly reassuring – on his back, Rukia just distracted herself form the conversation, "Oh, heavens, Ichigo, are you okay?"_

"_Mama…" Hiro persisted, "Tell me."_

"_Yes, thank you, Rukia!" Ichigo piped, "I am just fine. I really appreciate the useful patting on my back. It helped a great deal." He said, a little sarcastically._

"_Oh, you're welcome, darling. Anything for you." She smirked, busying herself with pouring another drink for Hiro – who was beginning to become a little impatient._

"_Mama! Tell me!"_

"_Oh, absolutely, I will. One day."_

"_It's very complicated stuff, Hiro. Involves a lot of science and equations." Ichigo explained, matter-of-factly._

"_And also a lot of noise." Isshin added, grinning as he munched on his breakfast, "And on occasion… all kinds of interesting things like handcuffs – depending on what mood you're in. You should tell him how." He concealed a smirk, glancing over at Ichigo, innocently, "In fact, I think another baby was almost made last night when we were all in bed." He mused, "But I think something stopped the equation from being solved…" _

_Rukia bit down on her lip, and probably would have laughed if she wasn't so embarrassed._

_Was there not one thing ever kept a secret in this house?_

…

_Arriving back at the Soul Society was an ordeal Ichigo was both pleased and displeased about. _

…_For several reasons._

_Number one, he had slowly begun to patch things up with Karin – which meant, he didn't hit her boyfriend when he saw them together, to which she was mildly grateful. This meant he didn't leave with such a heavy heart. _

_On the other hand, the disadvantage of returning to Seretei was due to the unavoidable fact that each and every individual they came in contact with begged to croon over baby Masaki, have Ichigo or Rukia's signature or even so much as touch their robes._

_It was infuriating._

_The older, more experienced souls tended to bow their heads respectfully, or keep their distance, knowing that those who were higher in authority deserved a great deal of reverence._

_But, the point was, both Ichigo and Rukia were the main topic of conversational gossip throughout the Soul Society, including other districts aside from just Seretei._

_The issue that accompanied this included the knowledge that it was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal Masaki's identity… or alter ego… a secret. _

_Often becoming distressed with the crowds and the bustling, her eyes would start to fade to a liquid gold – sometimes noticeable, other times not._

_But as the weeks passed, Masaki began to grow accustomed to the loud noise, and the busy activity surrounding her._

_That did not, by any means, imply that she enjoyed it; she had adopted the wonderful talent of pretending to be asleep during any time spent in the outside realms. Which Ichigo thought was a perfectly genius plan, and decided maybe he'd do it too one day..._

_But on this one particular evening, Ichigo was about to step into Byakuya's mansion, when his son burst through the door, "Dad! Daddy! Dad! Dad! Father!" _

_Blinking in mild surprise, Ichigo crouched down and rested his hands on Hiro's shoulders, "What? What? What is it?" He asked, laughing softly at the innocent glee behind his amber eyes, "Guess what, Daddy! Guess what?"_

_Growling playfully and scooping the boy up in his strong arms, tossing him up into the air before catching him again, "What?"_

_Giggling excitedly and wrapping his small arms around his father's neck, Hiro opened his mouth to reply, "Masaki laughed at me!"_

_Raising his eyebrows, Ichigo's eyes widened, "No way, kiddo! That's awesome! Is she upstairs?"_

_Hiro nodded and pointed towards the general direction of the house, "Take me, Daddy!" He instructed, still smiling widely._

_In no more than three seconds, Ichigo had flash-stepped his way to the top to where Rukia was cuddling Masaki to her chest, "She laughed, Rukia?" He threw open the door and his fiancée confessed herself highly amused by the matching expressions both he and Hiro were wearing. They were both exactly like little, excited children… Well, Hiro had an excuse for that one…_

"_Well, it was more of a hiccough, but it certainly sounded like a laugh." She commented, smiling fondly, "It's early on, isn't it?"_

_Nodding, Ichigo placed down his son and moved over to Masaki, "Do babies even do that at this age?"_

"_This one does, Daddy!" Hiro responded, bouncing up and down, attempting to get a better peek at his sister, "And I am the first person she did it to! That means I am her favourite!" Proceeding to parade proudly around the vicinity of the bedroom, Hiro smirked, clearly impressed with his achievement. _

_Rukia gave a soft, gentle laugh, leaning over to kiss Ichigo on the lips, before pulling away to look at him, her eyes sparkling._

_Glancing about the room at each individual surrounding him, Ichigo sighed, blissfully._

_By gods, he was the luckiest man in the world._

…

"_Oh, sweet Kami above!"_

_Ichigo stared, horrified, at his reflection – the orange twists of hair sticking up in every direction physically possible, the red tinge to his burning ears._

"_What? What is it, Dad?" Hiro was standing beside his Father, glancing up at him, the curiosity lining his features._

"_I… tomorrow…"_

"_What about it?"_

_Smoothing down his appearance as well as possible, he straightened up his back, "Tomorrow is the day, Hiro."_

_Rolling his eyes, impatiently, the young boy exhaled, "Yes, so you keep saying. But what is so special about it?"_

"_Well, if it's only just hit me, I'm sure it won't have hit you yet either… Hiro… Tomorrow is the day your mother and I are… well… finally…"_

_A little petulantly, Hiro stared at his father, "Don't tell me…" He mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief._

_Ichigo just let loose a quiet, hysterical laugh in response._

"_Please don't tell me that after all this time… all this preparation, you have only just realised…"_

_Well, of course he hadn't only _just _realised…_

…_But yes. _

_This time tomorrow… Ichigo Kurosaki would be a married man._

_And there was nothing either one of them could do about it. _


	5. New Beginnings

**Okay, so this took a lot longer to complete than I originally thought it would. So sorry for the delay. I promise I will try harder next time!**

**Thank you so much to all those who have supported me, and to the reviewers Bmast, Zangetsu12, Thunder Ninja, HollyRose93, greenking13, Kurose Sakurazaki, shocking-heaven-lunar-fang and the three unnamed guest reviewers! Please forgive grammatical errors, as I've not had proper chance to look over and edit this chapter!**

_Blood pumping in ears._

_Heart pounding in chest._

_What if she forgot what time it was at?_

_What if she decided not to turn up?_

_What if she –_

_There was Hiro… dressed in a similar cream suit to Ichigo – a tailcoat, with a small red rose tucked in the pocket of his clean, brand new ironed shirt. He was holding his head high, making sure the rings he carried on the small scarlet cushion were kept safe and intact for his parents – after all, he knew they deserved only the best._

_Yuzu was carrying Masaki in her arms, who appeared moderately disgruntled in her white ruffles, her eyes slid closed as she pretended, yet again, to be sleeping. Though, Ichigo could see his daughter peeking from beneath her long lashes at the large gathering of people surrounding her. Of course, she only pretended not to be nosey…_

_So there was the procession… but where was the bride…?_

_His eyes darted fervently around the gardens, desperate to find her, but instead, they unfortunately – much to his dismay – landed on Keigo who was grinning wildly, "You're getting it tonight, bro." He mouthed, winking._

_Expressing his extreme displeasure in an unamused stare, Ichigo exhaled._

_He did have a point though…_

_He was getting it that night…_

_…Providing his wonderful fiancée decided to turn up!_

_Suddenly, the heated cogs whirring in Ichigo's mind stilled… along with the entire world…_

_Wait… what world?_

_What else existed at that moment aside from the delicate angel ghosting gracefully towards him?_

_One slender hand rested lightly on, what probably was her brother's arm (though Ichigo was too distracted to take notes…), and her eyes were fixed steadily on his._

_Her attire was a relatively modernised kimono – partly traditional, but partly westernized, just like the theme of the entire wedding. Draped in soft bands of crimson against subtle frills of white and black twists, Rukia soon-to-be-Kurosaki moved towards her betrothed, the fabric clinging possessively to her curves._

_As Ichigo took in the sight of his beloved, he was reminded that it was highly difficult to push away all inappropriate thoughts that threatened to cause him to make an absolute spectacle of himself in public…_

_He knew she hadn't chosen the kimono for herself because he was fully aware of the fact that if it was up to her, she would have been happy to wear her old robes and get married in his back yard…_

_As it happened, that wasn't actually the custom of a member of the noble family, apparently, and as a result she was force to wear something that quite obviously drew attention to each of her (highly attractive) assets._

_He could even see the mild trace of resentment at losing, what he assumed to have been, a long and difficult battle, hiding behind her eyes._

_Though, Ichigo noticed she had refused point blank to wear the large, white hat..._

_However, instead, she was wearing a far more flattering style in her hair, and the way her raven tresses were pulled up into a twisted, yet loosely extravagant bun was almost too much for him to take._

_His eyes dropped to her face, and he could do nothing save watch, struck utterly dumbfounded at the gentle blush dusting her pale cheeks as she approached him._

_Ichigo himself, was barely even aware of what was being spoken by the guy who was apparently marrying the two, as he was too busy focused on this incredible woman before him._

_It was only when her lips moved slightly that he snapped out of his trance, "Ichigo… She mouthed, quietly, "The vows…"_

_Though her whisper was subtle and firm, her eyes carried a trace of amusement – only he would forget to pay attention to his own wedding…_

_The words passing from his lips almost felt as though somebody else was speaking them; he had expected time to slow down as it had done when he saw her glide ethereally down the aisle, but alas, the vows seemed short, yet sweet._

_"…Yours, for eternity." He watched the way her lips formed the words, her velvety tones conveying nothing but honest dedication for him and only him._

_He felt the wind gush from his lips in a relieved sigh, much to the delight of his father, who could be sighted in Ichigo's peripheral vision, and was bouncing excitedly in his seat._

_Oh dear, he'd better cut that out before the night was over…_

_He was vaguely aware of the man beside him permitting him to kiss his wife…_

_Oh gosh, his wife. He had done it. He was married! He had a –_

_The slow and significant widening of Rukia's eyes reminded him that he had other things he needed to be concentrating on, and he sent her a small, lopsided smile before closing the distance between their lips._

_She tasted sweet._

_So sweet that he wanted – no, he needed – more._

_As if sensing the sudden desire burning behind Ichigo's lips, Rukia felt her heart flutter several times over in her chest; fortunately, she had managed to prevent her body from visibly reacting to his firm, heated kiss and pulled away slightly, the skin of her nose brushing his._

_Their lips were barely a centimetre apart until Ichigo pressed yet another gentle kiss to her intoxicating mouth and pulled away before his Hollow decided to intervene and just take her right there and then._

_At least, he told himself that was his Hollow's idea… though it may have been a mixture of them both…_

_Once his eyes flickered open, they met hers and the smile upon her delectable lips was subtle, yet so blatant at the same time. It was the sort of smile that conveyed the main message to the public that she was so very happy they were finally married… but also to Ichigo, the elusive knowledge that she understood completely how difficult it was for them both to pull away._

_… And exactly what she intended on doing to him that night._

_Oh, gods, he wanted her so bad…_

_The eruption of applause was only the beginning of an event so packed with loud noise, celebration, partying, eating, drinking, and Rangiku hitting on several of Ichigo's friends… or just whoever was generally within arm's reach at the time… she didn't seem too fussed…_

_The venue selected was a large hall not too far away from the delicate garden selected by Rukia in which the couple were married._

_It carried a similar theme of crimson, white and black décor; angelic fairy lights that had connected the trees together in the garden now joined each corner of the hall's ceiling, but they were a little dimmer and gave a slightly more relaxed feel to the room instead of the graceful innocence it indicated before._

_The room overall was pretty dark, which Ichigo believed originally allowed he and Rukia the privilege of letting their hands wander, indirectly along the fabric of the other's attire; but unfortunately, the groom was gravely mistaken. Although they had managed to wrap themselves up in an extremely brief, yet mildly intimate dance, Ichigo murmuring how much he wanted to be alone with her, their time alone was cut short._

_For the never-ending chatter, dancing and congratulations soon became a little stifling, and neither Ichigo nor Rukia got a moment alone with the other for longer than a second before a new face popped up to distract them yet again._

_"So, I imagine you two will be having so much fun tonight!" Rangiku snorted, ignoring the way a certain male was wrapping around her body from behind, "Where is you're going again?"_

_"St. Lucia." Ichigo answered shortly, surveying the young man behind her, instantly recognising him to be one of his school friends that Rukia must've encouraged him to invite._

_Eventually, he was swatted away, as a dark shadow cast its way across the trio, and a low, mellow voice spoke quietly, "Congratulations, Ichigo, Rukia." It said, simply._

_Ichigo turned away from Rangiku and face Chad, "Thanks, man." He bumped his friend's stomach lightly with his fist, finding it easy to smile genuinely at him. Chad, after all, never said words he didn't mean._

_Chad mumbled an incoherent reply before his eyes landed on Rukia's expression – and although he often seemed a little… well… slow… he was intelligent enough to recognise when somebody was beginning to feel mildly on edge._

_And if it was visible to somebody else, Chad reckoned Rukia felt a lot worse than she let on. He just inclined his head before turning away into the crowd._

_"Rukia!" A squeal sounded from behind the couple and Ichigo closed his eyes. He cared about Orihime, he really did… but she was sometimes just far too enthusiastic... all the time… about everything._

_Rukia turned and smiled widely at her friend, "Orihime! I'm so pleased you and Uryu could make it."_

_"We wouldn't miss it." Uryu's index and middle finger pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose and he sent Ichigo a warm smile, "It was a lovely service."_

_"You look so beautiful, Rukia!" Orihime praised her, before leaning forwards, and glancing at Uryu, her eyes requesting some sort of permission from him; in response, the bespectacled young man nodded slightly. "Also… Uryu and I… well, let's just say, your two beautiful children may have a new playmate in a few months."_

_Why was it that this suddenly made Ichigo feel highly nauseous?_

_Rukia was smart enough to offer enough congratulations to the couple on both their behalves, and Ichigo managed a smile in Uryu's direction, before he exhaled, quietly._

_One thing was for sure… their child would be the weirdest kid in the world._

_Meanwhile, Hiro was busy terrorising all of the guests with his newly developed impression of a lion – which he had spent a lot of time practicing ever since his granddaddy had taken him to the zoo. Yuzu was still satisfied with taking care of Masaki, while Karin sat side by side with Kenji, sharing a plate of crisps with him, contentedly glancing around at her family. After a moment, she stood up and moved towards her brother and Rukia before mumbling quietly, "Hey… just to say… thanks for stuff."_

_"I'm sorry, what was that?" Ichigo teased, "'stuff'?"_

_Rukia elbowed his side in reprove, "You don't need to thank us for anything, Karin."_

_"Yes, I do." She responded, her jaw set in determination, "You've always both been there for me and Yuzu and stuff. But anyway, I had better get back to Kenji. Congratulations." She smiled slightly, before heading back towards her boyfriend._

_Ichigo watched her go before a similar smile to his sister's pulled at the corner of his lips and he shook his head, "I am pleased you talked to her that night." His eyes flickered over to hers, slowly, catching the pale glimmer of the fairy lights in his ambers as he murmured, earnestly, "You really are amazing."_

_But before she could respond, yet another large round of tiresome congratulations were flung upon the two, and Rukia found herself more aware than ever of her husband's growing agitation._

_"You know, Rukia, you'll make sure to beat him up if he treats you wrong, won't you?"_

_"Thanks for having so much faith in me, Tats." Ichigo rolled his eyes before they rested on his spiky-haired childhood friend._

_She just smirked and punched his shoulder, lightly – though not lightly enough – and Ichigo winced, "Congrats, anyway, bud. I'll miss seeing you around. Thanks for the invite." She turned to Rukia and sent her a warm smile, before slinking back off into the crowds._

_Reflexively, the magnetism between her gigai and his body – as Rukia (the little minx) had managed to coax Yamamoto into allowing him to keep his body for a little while longer – pulled them closer together._

_Her hand… her hand was the only honest part of her entire being at that point – her plastered smile; her light, musical laughter; even the well-practiced glimmer in her eye were all just part of a show to conceal how she truly felt. But her hand barely left him once; it was always connected to him in some way – whether it was clasping lightly onto his, brushing his wrist, or resting on his shoulder._

_The only person who seemed to be aware of this, aside from the groom, was his father._

_Isshin, of course, had been in the exact same position as his son many years back with his own wife, and was observing his son's behaviour carefully, his watchful eyes taking into account Ichigo's growing restlessness._

_He had to hand it to the boy; he was doing remarkably well – especially considering that Isshin was fully equipped with the knowledge that Ichigo found it impossibly difficult to keep his hands to himself around Rukia._

_"Rukia…" A steely voice spoke from behind the bride, and said woman turned to see her brother standing awkwardly before them, "…If I may… I would appreciate a dance with you before I see you go. I hope you don't mind, Ichigo."_

_Ichigo was too busy snorting to even listen to what Byakuya had said properly. He had just used the word 'appreciate' sincerely. Maybe this guy did have a shred of humanity in him after all…_

_It was only when he felt her presence slip away from him that he noticed her hand was no longer upon his, and as a result, he felt the uneasiness break into minor panic._

_Claustrophobia wasn't something Ichigo was particularly familiar with… up until that point._

_His breathing capacity became suddenly restricted and – and –_

_"Ichigo… Ichigo."_

_"Hm, what?" He was completely incapable of tearing his eyes away from his bride, who was now (un)comfortably settled in her brother's arms._

_"Son, listen to me." Isshin's voice was quietly reassuring, and for some reason, it was the only thing that managed to calm him down right then – though why he was so uptight, he wasn't entirely sure, "Look, as soon as Rukia finishes her dance with Byakuya, you should take off."_

_"No, no, we're having fun." His lie was so blatantly pathetic, that Isshin just clipped the back of his son's head, sending him a reproving glare._

_Ignoring Ichigo's whimper, he continued, "No, newlyweds never have fun until they're alone, Ichigo. Trust me, I've been there. Now listen, I'm going to get Hiro and Masaki to meet you outside so you can say goodbye to them before you go. I'll announce your departure once you're already in the car, okay?"_

_Ichigo couldn't have thanked his father enough. After shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he just nodded and returned his attention over to Rukia, wondering vaguely what she and Byakuya could have possibly been discussing._

_"Rukia…" Captain Kuchiki began, his voice denying the attempt to sound firm and noble, and instead coming across as quiet and gentle, "Rukia, I know what happened between us has been somewhat unconventional and I know I find it difficult to let people see the real side of me. The side of me that Hisana, your sister, saw. I just… what I'm trying to say is that I know Ichigo is right for you. I know that you can freely show yourself to him."_

_Oh, believe me, Byakuya, I will. Rukia bit her lip, trying not to smirk at his words, and immediately, a tinge of pink pinched at his cheeks – which is a sight that Rukia had never before seen in her life._

_"Of course, I didn't mean – I know that you will – I just…" He trailed away, his arms stiffening, "I just meant that there is nothing more beautiful than honesty in a relationship – especially marriage. Don't ever conceal your feelings from him, Rukia. And I know…" His chin jutted out suddenly, and Rukia found herself immediately dreading whatever words would come out of his mouth next, "I know you both are able express yourselves verbally to each other, but it is also important to keep a balance of words and actions. Physical expression is a powerful bonding and–"_

_"–Byakuya, I do have two kids." She interrupted, sharply, fighting the blush springing to her pale cheeks, "But, yes, you're right. Thank you."_

_"Right, yes, of course." He cleared his throat before glancing away, "Well… good luck, anyway." He murmured, pulling away, rigidly, and Rukia just managed a tight, but genuine smile._

_"Yeah. See you soon."_

_Weaving through the crowds, and escaping to the regions of the outside where the air hit her throat, welcomingly, Rukia's eyes fluttered closed for a moment._

_Oh, she could hardly take much more sociability… where was Ichigo, anyway?_

_"Wanting to go?" As if sent from the gods above, his voice was a calming, reassuring, and the gentle caress of his fingertips against the back of her neck instantly relieved every muscle in her body of the unbearable tension._

_She exhaled and turned to see her husband standing before her, in one arm he clutched their daughter, who at this point was fixing her penetrating ambers on her mother._

_Ichigo carefully handed their daughter over to her before he grinned and scooped Hiro up in his arms, "Now you'll be a good boy, won't you?" He asked him, playfully stern, as his son just mirrored his wide smile._

_"Nope! I'll misbehave as much as possible!" He responded, ruffling his father's hair – which had managed to stay relatively tame up until that point._

_"Exactly what I want to hear."_

_"Ichigo!" Rukia scolded, after kissing her daughter's smooth forehead, fondly; however, it wasn't long before she returned her attention to Masaki, naturally feeling her insides wrench at the thought of not seeing her for 9 days._

_Singing her one last lullaby before heading over towards Isshin and handing him his granddaughter, Rukia emitted a noise that sounded like an 'oomph'._

_This was most likely due to the fact that Hiro had flung himself at her legs and was proceeding to squeeze them tightly, "Have fun on the treaclemoon, Mama."_

_"Treaclemoon?" She repeated, a soft laugh escaping her lips, "Do you mean honeymoon, baby?"_

_He just shrugged, "Treacle is nicer than honey." He reasoned, before releasing his Mama and taking a step back towards Isshin, "Bye, Mama and bye, Daddy."_

_Once their departure was announced, the guests flooded to watch them drive away in the fancy car which was previously packed with everything they would need; drunken cheers and raucous applause from the gates echoed through the grounds as the car screamed around the corner and out of sight._

_The journey, though long and tiresome, was mostly slept through, and finally, once Ichigo and Rukia had arrived at their resort, the cab driver glanced over the headrest at the drowsy couple, "Mr and Mrs Kurosaki… it's time to wake up. We're here."_

_…_

_The long, vivid blurs of red, purple and pink smeared themselves against the darkening skies, cloaking the white sand beach in a humid twilight. The two lovers, blissfully unaware of the sighing surf licking the smooth, round pebbles scattered across the shore, walked barefoot, their fingers loosely interlocked, towards their destination._

_St Lucia was a beautiful island in which Ichigo and Rukia had managed to secure themselves a private five star resort by the beach – for Isshin had agreed to help pay towards the honeymoon, and Byakuya had also been able to substantiality contribute to it as well._

_Ichigo glanced up at the building and felt a half smile pull at his lips – possibly because he was already imagining the several various locations they would be able to express their love in a place this particular size…_

_"It's beautiful, Ichigo…"_

_He felt his eyes flip over to her and he shrugged, "Well, it's pretty. But… I couldn't exactly use the word beautiful to describe it when you're here..."_

_She rolled her eyes, "Oh, stop being cheesy." She chastised, despite the nervous fluctuations in her chest._

_He just shrugged one shoulder, "Truthful and cheesy are two very different things."_

_Before she could even open her mouth to respond with something, presumably highly witty, Ichigo had leaned down and scooped her up in his powerful arms, holding her against his broad chest – which was slightly exposed as the top three buttons of his shirt he had travelled in had unfastened due to the severe heat… Rukia noticed this did marvels for her eyes and as her white arms wound gently around his neck, a quiet laugh escaped her lips, "Well, I think it's a lovely location, anyway." She concluded, in an attempt to revert back to the original topic of conversation._

_There were several things Ichigo could have said in response, just to continue the light conversation if he wanted… but instead, he chose to remain silent. Sometimes, words just didn't need to be spoken._

_He agreed completely with her, but for some reason, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything aside from how she looked, settled comfortably in his arms, pressed against his front._

_"Well, darling, I believe we're here." Pausing at the door, he noticed a silent couple standing before the hard wood, almost completely concealed by shadow._

_His immediate reaction would be to Bankai the crap out of them, until he realised that, actually, these guys were most likely meant to be there…_

_"Mr and Mrs Kurosaki, pleasure to meet you!" Revealing herself from the darkness, a short, olive skinned woman, who carried traces of some ancient beauty, was smiling with dried, wrinkled lips, and a twinkle behind her deep brown eyes. In some cases, she still appeared youthful; perhaps it was the animation dancing around her expression… Ichigo wasn't too sure, and quite frankly, at that moment he didn't care._

_Her companion, slightly more austere in appearance than she was, surveyed the two silently, allowing his wife to do all the talking before he indicated to the door for them to enter the large hotel._

_Ichigo could have described every room in great detail, and examined every cultural decoration to its maximum potential, but to be honest, he just was not moderately bothered about all this material beauty. He really only wanted to see the natural beauty of his new wife._

_Rukia, was slowly losing the ability to feign even the faintest polite interest, and eventually, once the elderly man had finished running his fingers along every piece of the corridors and rooms, his wife placed one hand on his arm as they reached a closed door at the very top of the resort._

_She mumbled something to him in an unrecognisable dialogue, before pulling the key from around her neck, "We leave you to look around this room alone." She told them, rolling her eyes as her husband appeared completely oblivious to her motives._

_She, clearly the romantic, was beginning to become impatient with her partner, and just hissed at him, speaking in their own tongue, before the key was promptly dropped into Ichigo's hand._

_"Enjoy." She smiled, quickly dragging her husband away, "If you need, ring bell!"_

_And they were gone._

_Suddenly, the two could breathe._

_"Listen, Ichigo, I need to go get… freshened up. I don't particularly like how this gigai feels after a long journey… do you know what I mean?" She asked, softly, after a moment of pure silence._

_He just nodded, unsure as to why he could suddenly feel his nerves begin to tremor, "There might be an en-suite attached to this room. I'll use the bathroom down the hall if you want." He placed the key into her hand, pressing his lips to her head, before turning away again, ignoring how clammy his palms seemed to turn._

_Okay, Ichigo… quick shower… quick spray of something nice smelling… quick slapping of face to alert self…_

_Rukia walked straight into the bedroom, not even daring to look at the bed until she found the en-suite, and couldn't help but notice the magnificence of the shower… It was well able to fit two people in there… as well as a useful grip mat on the floor – well, they couldn't have people falling over and braking their necks, could they?_

_Besides which, that would be embarrassing for the couple… not that they would mind too much if they were dead… But either way… a grip mat was a good idea…_

_Slipping out of the attire she had been travelling in and dropping it to the laminate floor, she headed over to the sink, her delicate fingers lightly gripping the side of the pearl sink and her eyes resting on her ruffled appearance._

_Shower._

_That was all she needed right then._

_Gods… She loved showers._

_Ichigo, on the other hand, was busy drying himself off, and wondering what on Earth he was going to wear._

_Well, honestly, it can't have mattered that much considering it was inevitable that their clothes were soon going to be discarded of within the next…few minutes._

_Cursing quietly, he ran a hand through his hair._

_Why the hell was his body so uptight and wound up?!_

_He was getting laid that night and he was nervous about it?_

_It wasn't even getting laid… it was making love with his wife! Someone who he had already seen naked under (and sometimes above) his body, and yet… here he was, trembling as though he was a child waiting to perform on stage at the school play!_

_Admittedly, the majority of it was a positive anticipation as they had hardly even touched since way before the birth of Masaki, and he guessed this was just his body reminding him that ol' Brutus Maximus still had needs._

_Desperate needs._

_Pulling a pair of boxers and a pair of snug, dark blue jeans he knew Rukia found very difficult to resist him in, he sighed and wiped his forehead – the heat really didn't help the situation whatsoever._

_Quelling the rising apprehension climbing within her by taking deep, steadying breaths, Rukia reached out for the soft towel, her fingertips brushing a silken, cream bath gown._

_She couldn't help but smirk slightly at this new discovery._

_Fortunately, their luggage had already been transported over to the hotel through some customer service team, and was sitting by the doorway to the bedroom. Quickly heading out to route through it, she pulled out her black and deep purple lace, knowing for a fact it would catch Ichigo's immediate attention. Fleeing back into the bathroom to grab the dressing gown, she slipped it on over her shoulders, leaving the belt loosely tied around her middle, exposing a teasing amount of chest, but also revealing a small amount of thigh every time she took a step forwards._

_Why her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest, following no particular rhythm, was a question she couldn't find an answer to._

_Was Ichigo this nervous?_

_Well, judging by the sounds of pacing coming from the corridor behind the bedroom door, she was willing to bet that he was._

_After a beat of silence, there was a soft knock on the wood – which just caused the butterflies raging in her stomach to intensify, "Rukia, are you…" What was the word he was looking for?_

_He didn't want her to be 'decent' as such… but he didn't want her to be un-ready, either._

_Fortunately, she didn't wait too long for him to try and find the correct word as she murmured, gently, "You can come in."_

_Everything in that moment – all those binding strings and uneasy sensations – vanished; sliced in half._

_Their eyes locked._

_One glance was all it took before Ichigo was completely hooked. Through his peripheral vision, he was fully aware that his beloved was exposing a tempting amount of smooth, white skin; but those eyes could keep him captivated for… well… ever._

_He had often tried to undertake the challenge of reading into the depths of her enigmatic orbs, and with time, he had become gradually better accustomed to understand her. But right then, he was trying desperately to work out whether that quiet burning behind her amethyst irises was fuelled by pure desire or desperation._

_But, he could see the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her chest beginning to steady, despite the fact her breaths were shallow._

_So, possibly a combination of both._

_They had exhausted the wedding as a topic of conversation on the way up, and to be honest, there was no need for anymore words at that moment._

_Ichigo took three slow strides towards her so the fabric of his jeans were brushing her pale silk._

_She just watched him move towards her, that sexy, subtle swing of his hips reminding her just how bad she missed this side of him. She could barely express just how much she loved watching his carnal nature break through into his outwards persona; though the expression on his face was not conveying that darkened lust it sometimes did, but rather a more amorous innocence. She could see the openness of his amber eyes and know that he was utterly willing to submit himself to her in whatever way she wanted._

_Well, good._

_Both of their faces were void of any barriers that would prevent them from seeing directly into the soul of the other; their expressions unguarded._

_Ichigo would have told her just how appealing she looked to him whilst wearing that gown, but words just were a waste of breath. Instead, he caught the edge of the robe between his fingertips, sliding them slowly down the smooth fabric. Grazing his eyes over her appearance in approval, he nodded, provoking a small smile to pull at her pink lips._

_In response to his gesture, her own hands moved upwards to rest their palms flat against his chest. Delighting in the shudder that left his body as she pulled her nails lightly down his heated skin, Rukia bit down on her lip, absently._

_Of course, this being a favoured notion of Ichigo, his automatic retaliation was to bridge the gap between their bodies, tear off her clothes and ravish her right there and then._

_But he wanted to take this slow, and appreciate every small action passed between them. As a result, he dipped his head down and touched the pale skin of her neck with his warm lips, allowing them to take the familiar route up to the crook of her jaw as her fingers traced the panels of his stomach, mapping every muscular contour._

_Running the pad of his thumb down the other side of her throat, he felt his lips travel back down to her shoulder, exploring beneath the silk, and hungrily remembering just how good her skin tasted._

_Every touch, every gentle caress, was focused on re-familiarising each other with how perfectly their bodies seemed to coexist when together. There was not one moment of awkwardness, or one stumble, as their beings naturally knew exactly what the other needed._

_Despite the fact that the rose petals on the huge, white bed made him feel a little ill – particularly as they reminded him of Byakuya's cherry blossoms… Oh gods, that sounded like a euphemism. Anyway, the point was, he figured he could work with this bed if he ignored the petals._

_His fingers were busy undoing the belt at the front of Rukia's robe, and his eyes were watching the stretch of ivory skin that revealed itself before him, certain parts of her still coyly concealed behind that teasing lace._

_The quiet, but resounding thud of the gown hitting the floor at Rukia's feet reverberated in Ichigo's ears, and he ran his fingertips along her upper arm, ghosting along her collarbone._

_Rukia's breath caught in her throat as she felt him lean down and pull her up into the bridal pose yet again, their noses kissing softly._

_Laying her down among the soft bedding – and the sickening rose petals – Ichigo lowered his head down to press his lips to the hollow of her throat, sucking against the skin. Twisting her fingers lightly into his vibrant spikes, Rukia tilted her head back into the pillows, her eyes closing and her teeth settling on her lower lip._

_After a few delicious moments of trailing kisses along her chest, shoulders and neck, his lips finally found themselves hovering above hers, and her eyes fluttered open to see him at such close proximity. Immediately feeling her pulse quicken, she curled her fingers around the back of his neck, reaching upwards to touch their lips together._

_The kiss started off slow – verging on cautious, even – until he gently parted her lips with his, pulling back every so often to allow her to catch her breath; in reality, it just left her wanting more. He was laying on his front, his body on one side of her and the elbow supporting his weight settled on the other side. But for Rukia, she found that as their impassioned kiss gradually deepened, her body needed to feel him closer. Her fingers dragged lightly down his spine, inducing a gratifying shiver to climb its way along his back._

_His tongue had begun to experimentally explore the corners of mouth, occasionally brushing hers, before he nipped lightly at her lower lip._

_Neither were too sure at what point Ichigo had settled himself between her legs, a tantalisingly close gap separating their bodies, though he concluded it was most likely a result of that soft, delicate whimper that escaped her parted lips into his._

_The only sound aside from the gentle contact of their lips was the occasional murmur of satisfaction issuing from one or both individuals – but eventually, Ichigo's body drifted closer to hers, and he felt his kiss slow as her hands moved to the belt of his jeans._

_Of course, this action was only causing the stress at his midriff to tighten, and really, he supposed he was glad when she subtly undid the button of his trousers – even though it was so very difficult to keep his hormones in check. Once they had been kicked off the mattress and onto the floor, Ichigo settled himself back down to his original position between her thighs, and let his lips roam from hers, back down her throat and towards the lace of her bra. Her nails were resting against his shoulder blades, and Ichigo knew that if he played his cards right, that the skin beneath her fingers would end up torn._

_Cupping the material in his palm and running his thumb along the fabric, he heard her exhale softly, and he pulled back the lace, taking a quick sneak peak, until his other hand unhooked the clasp beneath her back. It was almost comical the way it sprung loose, and Ichigo obligingly cast the garment to sit with the rest of the discarded items of clothing._

_His tongue traced down her sternum before his lips closed firmly around one breast. His hand moved to keep the other one company, and as he nipped at her skin with his teeth, his arousal hardening further as a quiet mewl left her lips._

_The time seemed to slow down, and Rukia became less and less aware of anything other than what Ichigo was doing with his – oh!_

_Opening one eye and glancing down, she noticed said man was currently tugging at the remaining underwear with his teeth, his fingers... well… otherwise preoccupied._

_She wasn't sure what word she gasped, only that it only seemed to spur Ichigo on to move quicker. Her eyes slid closed, and her lips dropped apart, one hand twisting into the bed sheet, firmly._

_…Oh, this boy really knew what he was doing…_

_As he increased the pressure of his lips against her centre, the only thing she could manage to do was emit an unobtrusive moan, her mind slowly losing grips with reality… that was until it stopped._

_Raising her head from the pillow and glancing down, she could see Ichigo balanced on all fours, his eyes cloaked with honest desire. Right then, she needed to feel his heat against her, but first, it was only fair she returned the favour._

_Sitting up and pushing him backwards, carefully, so his head landed on the quilt, Rukia ignored the confusion lining his expression, and straddled his hips. She didn't even have to speak, but he could read the command in her actions; he was to stop trying to move and stay exactly where he was… or he would most likely be in trouble._

_Dipping her head down, she ran the tip of her tongue lightly up towards his jaw, kissing him just behind the ear. She was only vaguely aware of the goosebumps rising under his skin beneath her touch, but she did hear him take a sudden sharp breath inwards, his hands flying to rest on her hips. Her nails were in a dangerous position against his ribs, and she let them linger against him for only a moment, before they chafe teasingly down his abdomen._

_She had missed feeling him weak beneath her, as though he was mere putty in her hands; and that wasn't an ego-thing, or because she was some power-driven lunatic. It was because she missed seeing the only part of Ichigo that nobody else had seen – this was her Ichigo (or at least, one of her Ichigos… for there were a few sides to him that were for Rukia's viewing and disposal only). He was honest, innocent, and acted selflessly when in this state of anticipation for what could happen in the very near future._

_Tucking her fingertips beneath his boxers, she tugged the fabric down and watched as her old friend leapt up to meet her again. It had been quite a long time…_

_Clasping her fingers deftly around him, she dropped her head down, maintaining constant contact with his eyes as she flicked her tongue artfully along his skin._

_It didn't take long before he dropped back down onto the pillows, his head in a state of bliss – why was it she was so damn good at this thing?_

_He could only manage to utter the occasional growl of pleasure, as her hand moved in perfect synchronisation to her mouth, which seemed to be undertaking manoeuvres he didn't even know existed – but, dammit, did they feel amazing._

_Her nails dug slightly into his hips in her unoccupied hand, and his back arched from the mattress, but before he it was too late, he placed one hand on her shoulder, sitting up._

_He wanted to finish this inside her._

_She seemed to understand the silent plea in his eyes, and she nodded, allowing him to reverse their positions yet again so he was the one above her._

_After a moment of their eyes locking, Ichigo placed his forearms either side of his wife, and his chest automatically moved to rest against her front. One hand tangled into his hair as he pressed yet another kiss against her lips, his hips rubbing lightly across hers. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she returned his kiss, only for a few moments, as he pulled back to fix his amber gaze on hers. The heat only climbed higher at how closely intimate their bodies were tangled at that second – in fact, seconds didn't exist right then; time was out the window and rendered entirely irrelevant._

_Her hips raised upwards marginally, coaxing him to unite them together once more._

_Obligingly, Ichigo guided himself towards her entrance and eased his way inside, relishing the soft sigh that slipped from her lips._

_This was not angry sex, it was not drunk sex, it was not frustrated sex, it was not dirty sex, it was not spur of the moment 'I'm horny' sex. In fact, it was hardly sex at all._

_It was making love._

_It was undemanding, beautiful, and pure._

_As their bodies glided, their spirits connected, awakening every memory, every emotion that had been created by the two in moments similar this. But this time, it represented a new beginning – the beginning of their forever._

_Even though that sounded as corny as hell, Ichigo couldn't deny that it was true._

_This time was different to all of those. This time seemed to mean so much more, and it was based on this fact as to why he could feel the impacts of her every touch, move and sound more than he had ever been able to before._

_Neither were sure how long they let themselves collide together in such giving passion, but only that as they hit the crescendo, it was quite possibly the most powerful sensation they had ever experienced in their entire existences. Desperate to capture her lips in another deep kiss as the climbed towards their peaks, he closed the gap between their mouths again. His hips rocked faster, harder and deeper, until their kiss eventually tapered off, though their lips were still connected, but unmoving._

_Rukia's nails were most likely cutting into Ichigo's back, but he wasn't aware; all he could focus on was the blinding euphoria hitting his body once she had tightened around him. Her head dropped backwards, her eyes wide, both lips dropped apart as a satisfied cry escaped her throat._

_He would remember that expression forever. Tilting his head forwards to rest on her shoulder as they convulsed together, Ichigo's breathing began to eventually steady itself._

_After several moments of pure bliss, Ichigo lifted his head up, looking down at her, "I love you, Mrs Kurosaki."_

_As childish as it was, her heart fluttered at hearing him call her that, "I love you too." She murmured, breathlessly, pecking his lips quickly._

_Once the effects slowly subsided, the happy couple felt exhaustion hit down hard, and before long, Ichigo had fallen asleep, still inside his wife._

_Not that she noticed as she too had slipped off to sleep._

_Well, they could both agree on one thing… the wait had been worth it._

_So damn worth it._

_And now?_

_Well… now really was to the beginning of eternity._

**Sorry, if there are any errors, I'll try get them sorted later… but my head is currently dead.**

**Anyway, please review, it took a lot of doing to get this finished!**


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